ECONOMIC ROLE

Dahlonega Mint Half Eagle Gold Coin

Move your cursor over the coin or tap it on your screen to see the reverse side.
Dahlonega Mint Half Eagle Gold Coin front
Dahlonega Mint Half Eagle Gold Coin back
  • Gold was discovered in north Georgia in 1828, and a gold rush ensued by 1829. Private jewelers and metalsmiths minted coins in response to the demand for coinage until Congress passed and President Andrew Jackson signed legislation in March 1835 authorizing the creation of three mints in Charlotte, North Carolina; Dahlonega, Georgia; and New Orleans, Louisiana.
  • The Dahlonega and Charlotte mints produced only gold coins. New Orleans minted both gold and silver coins. By the 1850s, the gold deposited for minting in Dahlonega came mostly from miners returning from California.
  • The Dahlonega Mint operated from 1838 to 1861 and produced denominations of $1, $2.50, $3, and $5.
  • The half eagle was a $5 coin.