Are Charlotte coins more special than Dahlonega issues?

airplanenut

Welcome to my brain, where random thoughts come along all day. This is one that recently popped into my head for no reason. Charlotte and Dahlonega issues are both on the rarer side (not necessarily rare, but tougher and more expensive than their P/S/O/CC counterparts). The basis of my question lies with the mintmark. If you want a coin with a C, your only option is Charlotte (or Carson City with a conveniently filled die). On the other hand, if you want a D, you can get a Dahlonega, but if you're willing to get a later issue, Denver comes to the rescue.

This question comes without any research on my part as to relative rarity or value of Charlotte and Dahlonega coins, but just seemed like an interesting thing to think about. I don't have an example of either, but once I started thinking about this, getting something from Charlotte seemed more interesting (though Dahlonega is way more fun to say).

DRUNNER

A superb allure to both, but I think there seems to be a special coveting of Charlotte issues. Not sure why, but either tweaks my sense of history . . .

Drunner
(RF-4/C) :-)

TurtleCat

I know what you mean. The allure is partly for the single C since the D can be both mints. Still, southern gold! Maybe when these uncertain times blow past I’ll splurge and buy one of each.

Smudge

I like both, but have a slight preference for Dahlonega.

amwldcoin

My experience as a dealer is Dahlonega coins were always much easier to sell than their Charlotte counterparts!

Exbrit

I tend to like Charlotte issues. Too bad they were poorly struck as a general rule.

Bochiman

Pretty much equal to me, as I bought one of each from RYK a few years back when he was exiting out of a lot of his collection.

I do like the "C" for the reasons stated, however, gold with a "D" is kind of cool too......

Of course, with all the stock stuff hitting and my kid starting college (hopefully) this fall, I may not hold onto them much longer....

BillJones

I much prefer the Dahlonega issues. They were struck at a small town which is still small by modern standards. That makes it more romantic for me. Charlotte is a big city now, and I don’t find it to be as interesting.

On average it’s easier to get an attractive Dahlonega coin than a Charlotte because they were, on average, made better. It’s harder to get really nice Charlotte coins, and that should make them better collector items, but my gut tells me that prefer Dahlonega.

When comes to the OP’s comments about mint marks, that does not enter my mind at all.

csdot

@Bochiman said:
Pretty much equal to me, as I bought one of each from RYK a few years back when he was exiting out of a lot of his collection.

I do like the "C" for the reasons stated, however, gold with a "D" is kind of cool too......

Of course, with all the stock stuff hitting and my kid starting college (hopefully) this fall, I may not hold onto them much longer....

Once you decide to sell, send me a PM. Who knows, I might be in the market. I live in SC, neighbor to both GA and NC, but have no southern gold.

Justacommeman

Charlotte. It’s easier for me to pronounce

m

Zoins

With Charlotte, people never ask why a Southern Gold collector has Denver mint mark coins.

Wahoo554

I like them both, but the market demand seems to be stronger for Dahlonega. This apparently wasn’t always the case. Doug Winter has interesting thoughts on the subject. Compare prices and relative rarity for the 1838-C and D issues and the Dahlonega popularity is readily apparent. The 1838-C should be much more valuable from a rarity standpoint.

CoinJunkie

I've never owned one of either, but always felt Dahlonega has a bit more cachet.

PerryHall

@Zoins said:
With Charlotte, people never ask why a Southern Gold collector has Denver mint mark coins.

I can't imagine anyone who knows what a mintmark is would ask this question.

Zoins

@PerryHall said:

@Zoins said:
With Charlotte, people never ask why a Southern Gold collector has Denver mint mark coins.

I can't imagine anyone who knows what a mintmark is would ask this question.

Think PDS moderns collectors.

Boosibri

The market for Dahlonega coins is much deeper than for Charlotte

Check it out though, New Orleans $5’s are generally rarer date for date than either C or D but NO lacks the headliner 1861 issue.

CharlotteDude

Charlotte for me... all day. It's a North Carolina thing.

Cameonut

I like both, but since I now live in NC, Charlotte gets the nod.

TurtleCat

@CharlotteDude said:
Charlotte for me... all day. It's a North Carolina thing.

Too bad the mint museum is a modern art gallery, though. It would be so much cooler if they had more than the small display of coins.

ricko

I like them both.... they both have history and the allure of scarcity. From a collectors viewpoint, that is a great combination. Cheers, RickO

Winchester1873

I have a bias because I am a collector of Dahlonega gold (my primary focus.). For me, the name is a reminder of the mountain trails and trout streams I frequented when I lived in Atlanta.

BStrauss3

There are some new and some old references to the sources of the Charlotte and Dahlonega gold.

You can view the US Mint report of the purchases of gold at the various mints...

For example:
http://www.chicagocoinclub.org/lib/us/cis/28-2/hed99.html

Sir: I have the honor to lay before you the following report of the operations of the mint and branch mints, during the fiscal year.

The coinage at the principal mint amounted to $2,843,457; comprising $1,782,420 in gold, $1,037,050 in silver, and $23,987 in copper coins, and composed of 5,461,967 pieces. The deposites of gold, within the year, amounted to $1,732,811; and those of silver to $1,015,564.

At the New Orleans branch mint, the coinage amounted to $4,208,500; comprising $3,010,000 in gold, and $1,198,500 in silver coins, and composed of 3,448,300 pieces. The deposites for coinage amounted to $3,003,176 in gold, and $1,259,928 in silver.

The branch mint at Dahlonega received, during the year, deposites of gold to the value of $479,794, and its coinage amounted to $488,600; composed of 88,982 half-eagles and 17,332 quarter-eagles.

The branch mint at Charlotte had received deposites of gold to the value of $167,348, and executed coinage to the amount of $147,210; when, on the 27th of July, the operations were arrested by the occurrence of a fire, which destroyed the mint building, and a great part of the machinery.

Also

Old history: https://memory.loc.gov/service/gdc/scd0001/2013/20131126001go/20131126001go.pdf
New history: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2207452?seq=1
New geology: https://pubs.usgs.gov/info/ayuso1/

johnny9434

@Justacommeman said:
Charlotte. It’s easier for me to pronounce

m

As I

Sonorandesertrat

@Zoins said:
With Charlotte, people never ask why a Southern Gold collector has Denver mint mark coins.

I once saw a Carson City Morgan dollar, struck from a reverse die that had some grease in the mint mark area. It only had one 'C'.

Winchester1873

I thought this thread needed a photo. Here’s a NEWP I bought this weekend from one of my trusted dealers across the country via email. 1854-D $1 PCGS AU58.

Got Charlotte photos???

topstuf

@Justacommeman said:
Charlotte. It’s easier for me to pronounce

m

Plus you can always watch "Hush, Hush SWEET Charlotte. "

tommy44

Here you go....
.

airplanenut

@Winchester1873 said:

I thought this thread needed a photo. Here’s a NEWP I bought this weekend from one of my trusted dealers across the country via email. 1854-D $1 PCGS AU58.

Got Charlotte photos???

Sweet gold dollar from Denver!

skier07

My poor mans Dahlonega

Swampboy

@Winchester1873 said:

I thought this thread needed a photo. Here’s a NEWP I bought this weekend from one of my trusted dealers across the country via email. 1854-D $1 PCGS AU58.

Got Charlotte photos???

I was hoping someone would post aCharlotte or Dhalonega mint coin to the thread.

Now, where is @ElmerFusterpuck ?

ElmerFusterpuck

Don't have the 'D', but here's my 'C', my very first!

BillJones

@Wahoo554 said:
I like them both, but the market demand seems to be stronger for Dahlonega. This apparently wasn’t always the case. Doug Winter has interesting thoughts on the subject. Compare prices and relative rarity for the 1838-C and D issues and the Dahlonega popularity is readily apparent. The 1838-C should be much more valuable from a rarity standpoint.

I presume that when you said "1838-C and C issues" you were referring to the $5 gold coins. Having shopped for both of them, I can tell you that neither of them are super rarities. The troubles with the 1838-C $5 gold coins are (1) It was not a well-made issue and (2) There are many ugly ones on the market.

I was at a Winter FUN show where one dealer had three 1838-C $5 gold pieces for sale. The slab grades ranged from VF-20 to EF-40. Every one of them was ugly. That is going to tamp down the price. I probably saw more than 15 at the shows and on-line, and they all had issues.

Here’s the one in my collection. A specialist told that it is seventh finest known. It was in the Stanley Elrod Collection.

The 1838-D $5 gold is much easier to find nice. I have seen a number of pieces in the AU grade that would be quite acceptable for most collectors. Attractive coins bring better prices. I got lucky with one. I was in the right place at the right time. It is graded MS-63.

Boosibri

That 38-D was found in a house in New Hampshire if I recall

BryceM

I see them as roughly equal in overall "coolness". On average, the C-coins seem to be a little harder to come by, but they also have more problems.

So, after having considered it carefully, I'd get some of both.

CharlotteDude

Many - here are a few:

@Winchester1873 said:

I thought this thread needed a photo. Here’s a NEWP I bought this weekend from one of my trusted dealers across the country via email. 1854-D $1 PCGS AU58.

Got Charlotte photos???

WildIdea

Great question! I think they are both great and I appreciate what ya all have to say. One day, if I get the notion, I’ll have to step up for one of each.

asheland

I love Charlotte gold, I'm in NC, about 2 or 3 hours from Charlotte.

asheland

My first Charlotte example from several weeks ago:
PCGS XF45

CharlotteDude

@asheland said:
My first Charlotte example from several weeks ago:
PCGS XF45

It makes for a very interesting pursuit. Here’s hoping you can find more beauties like that!

asheland

@CharlotteDude said:

@asheland said:
My first Charlotte example from several weeks ago:
PCGS XF45

It makes for a very interesting pursuit. Here’s hoping you can find more beauties like that!

Thank you!
At very least, I’d like a dollar and $5...

spacehayduke

Love them all, C, D (Dahlonega), S and O in early gold. But I always collected these for quality - and minimal intentional human intervention on their surfaces. That was my first priority, then the mint mark was secondary.

Best, SH

Smudge

@skier07 said:
My poor mans Dahlonega

Here’s mine.

Smudge

Wow, I got a picture to post.

mannie gray

The only Dahlonega mints I have owned were a pair (1846-D, 52-D) that I picked up at a country auction years ago.
I got very lucky as I was the only person there who knew anything besides the very basics
about coins .
There was a lot more good stuff there too. I almost felt sorry for the consignors/family/estate heirs because they got hammered.
The auctioneer should have done a little due diligence.

Boosibri

My only Dahlonega at present

CharlotteDude

@Boosibri said:
My only Dahlonega at present

I love the look of that coin, Boosibri -- Double B used to have a number of exceptional... and I do mean exceptional examples of both Dahlonega & Charlotte gold.
Here's my only "D"... for now. It's not that I have no love for them, I've just stayed focused much more on the Charlotte series. This coin represents the one moment the squirrel was "D"istracted by a "D"ifferent nut.

Boosibri

Here are a few @CharlotteDude mentioned:

PerryHall

Gold coins from both mints are special due to their rarity and historical importance. I don't understand the concern with the Dahlonega Mint and the Denver Mint sharing the same D mintmark. The Dahlonega Mint closed at the outbreak of the Civil War long before the Denver Mint opened well into the 20th century.

CharlotteDude

Thanks @Boosibri ... cue the jaw drop! I remember the color of that '48-C QE... an amazing coin.

sedulous

@CoinJunkie said:
I've never owned one of either, but always felt Dahlonega has a bit more cachet.

I've owned 5 Dahl's and prefer them over Charlotte gold.