Eastlake Coin Album
1863 was a pivotal year in the American Civil War, marked by the Emancipation Proclamation, which shifted the war's aim to ending slavery, and the major Union victories at the Battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg, halting Confederate advances and splitting the South, significantly turning the tide of the war. Other key events included Lee's defeat at Gettysburg, the capture of Vicksburg, violent draft riots in New York City, and the first successful test of a Confederate submarine
Struck in 1871, this proof Liberty Seated half dollar was born into a world teetering between reason and reinvention. That same year, Lewis Carroll led readers Through the Looking-Glass, Darwin challenged humanity’s origins, and the Great Chicago Fire consumed a city—only to spark its rebirth. 960 proof halves were struck that year—delicate artifacts from a time when the world questioned what was real and what could be imagined. This example glows with soft golden toning that pools at the edges like lantern light in a dream—fleeting, surreal, and quietly enchanting. Its mirrored fields remain calm and reflective, preserving a sense of dignity and grace in an age shaped by beauty, chaos, and discovery.
