| Description: |
Medium yellow gold with strong underlying lustre. A desirable example of the 1854-D half
eagle, the present piece retains much, if not the greater percentage of its original
lustre. There is some light striking at the centers, typical of 1854-D, and thus perhaps
not worthy of mention. The mintage of the 1854-D amounted to 56,413 pieces, or about a
third of the quantity produced in Philadelphia. At the time the Charlotte and Dahlonega
mints were quite busy, coining not only native gold from Georgia and North Carolina, but
also, on occasion, quantities of metal brought in from California. The facilities at both
of these mints were rather primitive compared to elsewhere, with the press capacity being
such that no coins larger than $5 could be minted. The management and operation of both
institutions was fraught with difficulties, the study of which is quite fascinating today.
Both mints closed their doors in the early days of the Confederacy in 1861, with the
Dahlonega never to reopen, and the Charlotte Mint continuing for a time as an Assay
Office.
|
