Hi, I'm not sure if this is possible or not, but I would love some help if I could get it. Today is my father's birthday and, being like most dads, there's nothing you can really purchase for him. So having given it some thought, I hoped to give him an answer to a question he's always had. When my dad was about 10 (so almost 60 years ago now), he found the attached coin / medallion. Over the years, we've looked in coin books, on-line and even asked a few "experts" with no luck whatsoever. My hope is that someone here could possibly shed some light on it for us. The coin / medallion appears to be gold (& I believe my dad has had it tested in the past), it is idenitcal on both sides, is encircled by 12 stars, measures about 1.5", has no easily identifiable marks on it (date, mint mark, etc.) and appears to be a bit worn (so I'm assuming it's a bit older than the 60 years or so my dad has owned it). Any help would be greatly appreciated. Any ideas????
Welcome. I doubt your item is a coin because there is nothing to indicate 1) country of issue 2) date of issue 3) denomination. (It does not look like gold to me.) It would help if you could give the diameter, weight, composition and type of edge (smooth, reeded, lettered, design, etc).
New picture with "D" ??? Not having the coin / medallion with me at the moment, I'm fairly positive the coin has smooth edges and is approximately 1.5 inches across. I've spoken with my mother and she says that there appears to be a "D" on one side near the back of her neck / beneath her hair (you can see it faintly in this photo). I thought this could make sense, as we do live in Georgia and I thought it may indicate the old Dahlonega mint, ... maybe? The coin / medallion was originally identical on both sides, the photos are of both the obverse and reverse of the "coin." As to it not being real gold; as I mentioned I think my dad has had it tested, however I KNOW (and you can see evidence of this in the photos ) that an old man my dad knew as a kid subjected it to the "tooth test" to see if it was gold and it left an impression that's still on the coin / medallion. Thanks so much for your comments and interest thus far!
Sorry, the Dahlonega Mint did not strike anything like this. They struck $1, $2 1/2, $3 (one year only) and $5 gold pieces. Where are you in Georgia? (I am in Georgia for a visit at the moment about an hour east of Atlanta.)
The Savannah area. Could the Dahlonega Mint have minted private / commemorative / non-circulating coins besides actual U.S. "currency?"
Not to my knowledge. Local miners brought their gold to the Dahlonega Mint to be assayed, and struck into gold coins. Several years ago I read 'The Neighborhood Mint' (about the Dahlonega Mint) and I don't recall anything other than US gold coins being struck at the Dahlonega Mint.
The Bechtlers were private minters who were operating in the Carolinas and Georgia in the 1830s, 40s and early 50s. Although it is an extremely outside chance, could this be one of their patterns or trial strikes? Or is it perhaps a Southern Civil War token (with the 12 stars denoting the 11 Confederate states plus Indian Territory (Oklahoma)?
