The Anniversary of the Charlotte Mint
On this day in 1837, the Charlotte Mint officially opened for business, marking an important moment in American numismatic history. In 1799, nearly 40 years earlier, gold had first been discovered in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, in the form of a massive seventeen-pound nugget. However, the nugget went unidentified for several years, used as a doorstop, until a local jeweler discovered its true value.
By 1803, word had spread via regional newspapers and hopeful prospectors had begun to flood the area, seeking to strike it rich. However, a problem soon arose; there was no branch mint in North Carolina, forcing any gold to be sent far north to the Philadelphia Mint on a long and dangerous journey. The only other alternative was to use private gold coining operations in the Charlotte area, which unfortunately all suffered from major quality control issues. In 1831, merchants and miners in North Carolina petitioned Congress to build a branch mint in the Charlotte region. Four years later, Congress approved the construction of a branch mint in Charlotte, specifically to produce gold coins.
For about a year, the Charlotte Mint exclusively processed and refined gold. Eventually, on March 28,1838, this all changed with the striking of the first “C” mintmark Gold Half Eagle. In the following years, the Charlotte Mint began producing Gold Quarter Eagles as well as Gold Dollars, both of which also bore the illustrious “C” mintmark.
In May 1861, North Carolina seceded from the Union in the lead-up to the Civil War. The Confederacy soon seized control of the Charlotte Mint and minted an extremely limited number of coins before running out of gold. For the rest of the Civil War, the Mint was used as a hospital and military office space. After the Confederacy’s defeat, the mint building was used as an assay office, a meeting space for the Charlotte Women’s Club, and a Red Cross station during World War 1.
In 1931, the mint was scheduled for demolition, but a group of private citizens acquired the structure from the U.S. Treasury and relocated it from downtown Charlotte to the neighborhood of Eastover. Today, the Charlotte Mint still stands as the Mint Museum of Art, displaying thousands of items including a full collection of gold coins struck at the Charlotte Mint.
Today, Charlotte Mint gold coins are highly popular among numismatists, given the Mint’s small timespan of operation and low mintages. “C” mintmark coins are among the most sought-after numismatic treasures due to their rarity and historical value. If you are interested in acquiring rare gold coins of the Charlotte Mint, contact our Private Advisory Coin Team at 1-800-778-0624.
