Dahlonega Mint

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

Dahlonega Mint

The Dahlonega Mint was a branch of the United States Mint in Dahlonega, Georiga. Coins produced at the Dahlonega Mint bear the "D" mintmark. That mintmark is used today by the Denver Mint, which opened many years after the Dahlonega Mint closed. All coins from the Dahlonega Mint are gold and bear the dates 1838-1861.
Dahlonega Mint was chartered by the United States Congress

United States Congress

The United States Congress is the Bicameralism legislature of the Federal government of the United States of the United States of America, consisting of two houses, the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives....
and erected in 1837, in the mining town of Dahlonega, Georgia

Dahlonega, Georgia

Dahlonega is a city in Lumpkin County, Georgia, Georgia , United States, and is its county seat. As of the United States Census, 2000, it had a total population of 3,638....
, during the first North American gold rush

Gold rush

A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers into the area of a dramatic discovery of commercial quantities of gold.Eight gold rushes took place throughout the 19th century in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States....
known as the Georgia Gold Rush

Georgia Gold Rush

Discussion

Ask a question about 'Dahlonega Mint'

Start a new discussion about 'Dahlonega Mint'

Answer questions from other users

Full Discussion Forum

Encyclopedia

Creation

The Dahlonega Mint was chartered by the United States Congress

United States Congress

Dahlonega, Georgia

Gold rush

Georgia Gold Rush

The Georgia Gold Rush was the first significant gold rush in the United States. It started in 1829 in the present day Lumpkin County, Georgia near county seat Dahlonega, and soon spread through the North Georgia mountains, following the Georgia Gold Belt....
. The purpose of the Mint was to tap the newly discovered source of Gold for coins and to provide a place of miners to have their Gold assayed and sold.

Production

The first coins produced at the mint were gold $ 5.00 half eagles in April 1838. The mint produced coins every year from 1838 through 1861. Denominations produced included $ 1.00; $ 2.50 (quarter eagles); $ 3.00 (1854 only); and $ 5.00 (half eagles).

The Civil War

When the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
broke out in 1861, the Dahlonega Mint was seized by the Confederates

Confederate States of America

The Confederate States of America formed as the government set up from 1861 to 1865 by eleven Southern United States U.S. state of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S....
. It is believed that after the Confederates took over the mint in 1861, that some gold dollars and half eagles were minted under the authority of the Confederate States Government. The exact number of 1861 D Gold dollars produced is unknown, while approximately 1597 1861 D half eagles were struck. Because of their relatively low mintage, all Dahlonega-minted gold coins are rare. It is generally accepted that Gold coins estimated to exceed $6 million were minted

Mint (coin)

A mint is an industrial facility which manufacturing coins for currency.The history of mints correlates closely with the history of coins. One difference is that the history of the mint is normally related in a fashion that more closely ties to the political situation of an era....
here. The building that housed the Dahlonega Mint was destroyed by fire in 1878. It was never rebuilt and the mint ceased production permenantly. Gold leaf from this area also covers the exterior of the domed roof over the rotunda

Rotunda

Rotunda may refer to:*Rotunda , any building with a circular ground plan, often covered by a dome*Rotunda , a specific medieval blackletter script...
of the Georgia State Capitol

Georgia State Capitol

The Georgia State Capitol, in Atlanta, Georgia, Georgia , in the United States, is an architecturally and historically significant building. It has been named a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places....
in Atlanta. Local media often refer to the state legislature

Georgia General Assembly

The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia . It is bicameral, being composed of the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia Senate....
's activities as what's going on "under the gold dome".

For other United States Mint

United States Mint

The United States Mint primarily produces circulating currency for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce. The main Mint facility is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and branch mint are located in Denver, Colorado; San Francisco, California; and West Point, New York....
facilities, see Historical United States Mints
Historical United States mints

The following is a list of United States mints, past and present:Between 1965?1967 all coins were struck without mint marks, in the belief that a coin shortage was due to zealous coin collectors....
.

Source

Winter, Douglas "Gold Coins of the Dahlonega Mint" 1997. DWN Publishing