In a rundown Philadelphia tavern in 1873, a tipsy coin engraver accidently paid for his drink with a mysterious coin worth over $74,000 — and that wasn't even his biggest mistake!

This legendary Civil War treasure has been safeguarded deep within the Smithsonian Institution for decades, and is now being released to the public as a first—ever officially authorized silver proof. The story behind this 1861 Confederate coin is shrouded in mystery, danger, and intrigue:

He dreamt of glory — then feared the gallows
In 1861 the Civil War was just underway. Agents from the South approached a Philadelphia coin engraver named Robert ...

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In a rundown Philadelphia tavern in 1873, a tipsy coin engraver accidently paid for his drink with a mysterious coin worth over $74,000 — and that wasn't even his biggest mistake!

This legendary Civil War treasure has been safeguarded deep within the Smithsonian Institution for decades, and is now being released to the public as a first—ever officially authorized silver proof. The story behind this 1861 Confederate coin is shrouded in mystery, danger, and intrigue:

He dreamt of glory — then feared the gallows
In 1861 the Civil War was just underway. Agents from the South approached a Philadelphia coin engraver named Robert Lovett Jr. and commissioned him to design a coin for the Confederacy. Lovett agreed — thinking that if the South won, he would go down in history. After all, his 1861 coin was the only completely original coin ever struck for the Confederacy! But after striking 12 of the coins, Lovett quickly got cold feet. Realizing he could be hung for treason, he hid the dies and 11 of the coins in his cellar. The whole story might have ended there except for the last coin—which he kept in his pocket!

A drink makes history
Twelve years later, Lovett mistakenly paid for a drink with the Confederate coin. With his secret finally revealed, he confessed to the whole story and sold the dies and the coins to a wealthy collector. Eventually, his original dies were turned over to the Smithsonian Institution — where they remain to this day. Recently, one of the original 1861 Confederate coins sold for $74,750!

Officially licensed by the Smithsonian Institution
To mark the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War, this 1861 Confederate Silver Proof is the first officially authorized release ever. Each is minted in 99.9% fine silver. Struck from dies meticulously created from Lovett's original 1861 dies, each has been certified Gem Proof by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) and comes in a protective capsule bearing the prestigious Smithsonian Institution pedigree.

Secure your silver heirloom now — Risk Free!
This historic 2011 First Release has already fueled tremendous demand, but the edition is strictly limited to only 4999 proofs — so a sellout is imminent. Civil War artifacts of all kinds command top dollar whenever they come to auction, but you can now secure this first—ever officially authorized heirloom silver proof.