Just returned from the Dahlonega GA gold exhibit at the museum in the old court house. For those who never been, it's well worth the $7 admission to see a complete collection of the rare gold coins and the history of gold discovery in Georgia.
About ten years ago, I discovered that my distant relative, Rev. Robert O'Barr owned the land where Benjamin Parks discovered gold in 1828. Rev Robert O'Barr foolishly sold Parks the mineral rights for $10K (about $350K today) and a percentage of gold found but later sold the property to a local judge who sold it to John C. Calhoun and it became the Calhoun mine.
Thanks for the post. We have plans to visit Dahlonega this summer. It's not only the site if the mint/museum, but also nearby wineries, the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail and waterfalls!
Be sure to visit the Consolidated Gold Mine in Dahlonega. The entrance is next to the Walmart. ..In nearby Helen, take a ride up to Brasstown Bald or you can go horseback riding. You'll find excellent Pizza and beer at the Village Tavern, or a Reuben at Cafe International while watching the rafters float down the Chattahoochee. There are plenty of wineries just outside Dahlonega....
CC…. Better plan that trip for late fall/early spring. Summer in the south is miserable….. But stop and say howdy when you are down around these parts!
Helen and Dahlonega are at 1500 ft above sea level and at the base of the mountains. Temps aren't bad except in late July and August.... IF you want to miserable, come on down to Charleston SC in June-Sept.
I was there years ago. Yes, it is well worth the visit, especially if you are a coin collector. They wouldn't let me take pictures of the coins when I was there when I was there. Many years ago their first collection was stolen and this one is the replacement. Here is a picture of the courthouse. There are flecks of gold in the bricks, which were made locally. Here is a picture of the college administration building which is standing on the foundation of the Dahlonega Mint which burned in 1877. One of the people who worked there invited me. There are glass doors in front of the old foundation in the basement of the building. He was kind enough to let me take a few pictures of the foundation. Here are photos of the plaque that is in front of the building.
They used to display the coins in an old safe but now the coins are displayed in a glass case....Imagine so much gold in the clay that you can actually see specks in the bricks....
I learned something else just now -- I mentioned the thread to my wife, who spent most of her childhood in Alabama (Auburn), and said "Dahlonega", pronouncing it much like "Talladega". She smirked, and corrected me: "duh-LAWN-egg-ah". Noted, ma'am.
Don't forget to hit up the NNP for the Mint director's reports for the era. https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/publisherdetail/51 Among other things, they show the amount of gold bought in by the branch mints. For example 1837 (the 1838 report): Contrast that with, oh, 1850 which has the 1849 report from California
Thanks for the post, brings back memories. It is a beautiful display, and beautiful area. After my visit I started planning a robbery but settled for legally purchasing an 1853 Large D Half Eagle. It is bent and counter-marked but kept me out of jail.
You have to do SOMETHING when the amount of gold in circulation in the country increases 70% in a single year.
