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Civil War Coin Information

1861-D Gold Dollar

In 1861, the year that the Civil War commenced, the Dahlonega Mint struck a limited number of coins of just two denominations, being gold dollars and half eagles. Of these, the gold dollar is the scarcest, and a true key date, both within gold dollars as well as Civil War coinage. The total number struck remains to be unreported, but reasonable estimates show 1,000 to 1,500 pieces being struck in April and May 1861.

The Union never struck gold dollars at the Dahlonega Mint in 1861. The gold dollars of this issue that survive were struck under the Confederate States of America, although bearing the USA legends. It is unknown why exactly this denomination was struck, as the remaining gold have also could been used for the half eagle denomination. With the reverse dies still in storage, it can be suggested that the rebels considered it to be uneconomical to throw the dies away, and used these dies to strike a limited number of gold dollars.

Whatever the reason was to strike these pieces, history shows that they were struck after Mint director George Kellogg had resigned. They were not reported to the Philadelphia Mint as United States Coins. As a result, this is the only issue that was solely struck under the auspices of the Confederate States Of America. With no Mint Director, the amateur minters cared little about quality, and the majority of the remaining pieces lack that quality.

Georgia was one of the original thirteen States that had formed the United States of America in 1776. The 5th state to secede from the Union, it was the result of many decades of conventions regarding the subject. A new state constitution was drawn, the first since 1798. Although earlier conventions had put the discussions to the rest, and in fact the prediction before the convention was that Georgia would stay in the Union. On January 19, however, by popular vote, Georgia seceded from the Union.The reasons of secession were largely the same as the other states. The Georgia declaration of Secession focused on the history of the United States constitution, giving the reasons why it had seceded. Slavery, as can be expected, was a major issue, as can be seen from the following excerpt:

“The prohibition of slavery in the Territories is the cardinal principle of this organization.

For forty years this question has been considered and debated in the halls of Congress, before the people, by the press, and before the tribunals of justice. The majority of the people of the North in 1860 decided it in their own favor. We refuse to submit to that judgment, and in vindication of our refusal we offer the Constitution of our country and point to the total absence of any express power to exclude us. We offer the practice of our Government for the first thirty years of its existence in complete refutation of the position that any such power is either necessary or proper to the execution of any other power in relation to the Territories.”

In February of 1861, Georgia was one of seven States that formed the Confederate States of America. Although the state remained relatively war free in the first few years of the Civil War, in later years the fighting was fairly heavy. As a result, reconstruction of Georgia would take many decades, and the economy was largely influenced by the Civil War.

The Dahlonega Mint was closed by an order of the CSA government on June 1, 1861. The facility was, unlike the New Orleans Mint, never reopened. This historic issue, although expensive, is very popular as a representative for the start of the Civil War, and examples are always in demand. Thanks to several Mint workers or CSA officials, a relatively large number of pieces were saved as souvenirs and high grade pieces are occasionally available.