Numismatic Guaranty Corporation

Visit the NGC booth (#1400) to view the finest collection of Dahlonega Mint Half Eagles ever assembled.

Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) is proud to showcase the finest collection of Dahlonega Mint Half Eagles ever assembled. The Duke’s Creek Collection of Dahlonega Mint Half Eagles, which is entirely certified by NGC, will be on display at booth #1400 during the World’s Fair of Money in Chicago from Wednesday, August 14 through 2 p.m. on Friday, August 16.

The US Branch Mint at Dahlonega, Georgia, opened in 1838 during the Georgia Gold Rush. It struck gold coins in the one dollar, quarter eagle, three dollar and half eagle denominations) into 1861, when it was permanently closed due to the Civil War. Its “D” mintmark was later reassigned to Denver.

The complete set of Dahlonega Mint Half Eagles includes 27 coins from the 24 years the Dahlonega Mint operated, including important varieties in 1842, 1846 and 1848. All but the 1838 issue feature Christian Gobrecht’s renowned Liberty Head design.

Almost every coin in the Duke’s Creek Collection of Dahlonega Mint Half Eagles is either the finest-known, highest-graded or nearly highest-graded. Perhaps the greatest coin in the collection is the 1854-D $5 graded NGC MS 67‎★, the highest grade assigned to any gold coin from any of the three Southern Branch Mints (Dahlonega, Charlotte and New Orleans). Other highlights of the Duke’s Creek Collection include: 

• 1838-D $5, graded NGC MS 63★ (Finest Graded)
• 1841-D $5, graded NGC MS 65+ (Finest Known)
• 1846-D/D $5, graded NGC MS 66 (Finest Known)
• 1849-D $5, graded NGC MS 65 (Finest Known)
• 1861-D $5, graded NGC MS 64 (Finest Graded)

“This incredible collection tells the story of the Dahlonega Mint and early United States history,” said Mark Salzberg, NGC Chairman. “These early Southern gold coins have a certain inimitable charm, which is all the more special when they are at the absolute pinnacle of preservation.”

The Duke’s Creek Collection was assembled by numismatists Jack Hancock and Bob Harwell over more than 25 years. It originally included every denomination struck at the Dahlonega Mint along with the private gold issues of Templeton Reid and the Bechtler family. All of the coins were later sold by Harwell and Jeff Garrett, but the extraordinary collection of Dahlonega Mint Half Eagles was kept intact. These coins were recently sold privately for more than $1.5 million in a sale brokered by Greg Rohan, president of Heritage Auctions.

To explore the Duke’s Creek Collection of Dahlonega Mint Half Eagles, visit the NGC Registry.

The collection of coins from 1838-1861 is part of the “Gold-Digging in Georgia” exhibit.

Numismatic Guaranty Corporation® (NGC®) is honored to have certified the Thomas Leverette McMullan Reed Creek Collection of Dahlonega Mint Coins, which is now prominently on display at the University of Georgia in Athens.

This collection contains all 62 issues of the US Branch Mint in Dahlonega, Georgia. The coins were issued in denominations of $1, $2.50, $3 and $5 between 1838 and 1861, when the Civil War halted production.

Among the collection’s highlights is an NGC AU 58 example of the very rare 1861-D Gold Dollar. Only 1,000 or so of these pieces were struck after Confederate forces took over the Mint.

A second highlight is the five dollar from the same year, also graded NGC AU 58. Just 1,597 examples of the 1861-D $5 were struck before the Mint was seized by the Confederates, with another 1,000 to 2,000 pieces estimated to have been minted after.

Collector John McMullan worked for several years to assemble the collection with the help of Dahlonega specialists Bob Harwell of Hancock & Harwell Rare Coins and Jeff Garrett of Mid-American Rare Coin Galleries. Together, they decided to submit the coins to NGC for CrossOver or ReHolder, as applicable, and have the “Reed Creek Collection” pedigree added to the NGC certification labels.

The collection is now on display at the University of Georgia as part of the “Gold-Digging in Georgia” exhibit at the university’s Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library. The exhibit explores the early 19th century gold rush in Georgia that led the federal government to establish a mint in Dahlonega, which lies near the beginning of the Appalachian Trail in northern Georgia.

As part of the University of Georgia exhibit, Dr. Drew Swanson, a Wright State University history professor, delivered a lecture on July 13 titled, “From Georgia to California and Back: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of Southern Gold Mining.” The lecture attendees were given a special American Numismatic Association (ANA) medallion encapsulated in an NGC holder with a University of Georgia Special Collections Libraries label.

The exhibit remains on display until December 5.