1861

Mintage for 1861 reached 497,000 coins, the last year of relatively meaningful circulation strike production before the Civil War hoarding crisis pulled silver from commerce entirely. Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter in April, starting the war. By summer, hoarding of gold and silver coinage had begun as Union residents grew anxious about the stability of paper money and the outcome of the conflict. By late 1862, virtually every silver coin in the United States had disappeared from circulation, stored by private citizens as protection against uncertain times.

The 1861 trime survived the hoarding better than many because its tiny size and low value made it less attractive to hoarders focused on larger silver coins. But the coin still experienced significant attrition, and most 1861 trimes were eventually either melted or set aside in collections. The date is more available than the key Civil War years that followed, but it is not common in higher grades.