Lincoln and the 1861 Double Eagle Tribute

When Abraham Lincoln became President in 1861, the dark clouds of the Civil War were already gathering. Lincoln tried desperately to avoid conflict but had failed. Southern states began seceding fromthe Union and the Confederate States of America was formed. As the country divided and blood began to spill, the Confederacy made it a priority to capture the U.S. Mint facility in New Orleans so they could begin minting their own coins. The last U.S. coin off the presses was an 1861 Liberty Head Gold Double Eagle. Fourteen years after the war ended and President Lincoln was assassinated, the NewOrleans Mint re-opened and once again started producing coins for the reunited nation. The New Orleans Mint closed in 1909, but it will always hold a very special place in the history of U.S. coinagefor its important role in the Civil War. Days after Abraham Lincoln was elected the 16th President of the U.S. in 1861, the Civil War began as South Carolina seceded from the Union . . . followedby ten other southern states. The Confederate States seized all the Federal resources it could to fund its cause. The U.S Mint facility in New Orleans was an important conquest - allowing the Confederacy to mint their own coinage. The last U.S. coin to come out of the New Orleans facility was the 1861 Liberty Head Gold Double Eagle. Fourteen years after the war ended, the New Orleans Mint re-opened and produced coins until it was closed in 1909. The set contains: Abraham Lincoln Presidential Dollar 1861 Liberty Head Double Eagle Replica Coin