NGC-certified Dahlonega Gold Set Displayed at University of Georgia

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.

1861 Dahlonega $1 gold coin Click image to enlarge.

1861 Dahlonega $5 gold coin Click image to enlarge.

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.