Coonskin means made from the hide or fur of a raccoon, an American animal with a ringed tail. The picture most people have is a coonskin cap — a fur hat with the tail hanging down the back, the kind in old stories of the American frontier. You can also say a coonskin coat. The word is American and a bit old-fashioned; you will meet it in museums, history, and films, not in a normal clothes shop. Coon here is only the old short name for the raccoon. Though actually you must be careful: said of a person, coon is a racist insult in English. Coonskin is about the animal’s skin. Never take the short form and use it for people.