Shortly after gold was discovered in the Carolinas in 1799 and mining began, the miners started campaigning for a mint facility to be located locally to facilitate the disposal of their ore. By 1830 a total of 56 mines were in operation in North Carolina alone making a U.S. Mint Branch or assay office a necessity. In July 1831, Christopher Bechtler, Sr. answered the miners' cry and began operating his private mint and assay office. Bechtler's honesty and speedy enterprising resulted in a substantial amount of Bechtler coinage being produced between 1831-1840 at his private mint. The Act of March 3, 1835 established branch mints to be built in Charlotte, Dahlonega and New Orleans, but coinage was not produced at any of these facilities until late 1838, contributing to the popularity of the Bechtler coinage. The Bechtlers have the disctinction of being the first to mint gold dollars eighteen years prior to the first U.S. Mint striking at Philadelphia in 1849. Bechtler gold had such a good reputation that during the Civil War, the monetary obligations of the Confederacy were specified as payable in "Bechtler gold". The present example is in an ANACS holder with the following description: "AU Details Net EF 40 Cleaned". Regardless, it is a nice example of this highly respected private mint gold!

$6,000