Where have they all gone?
I just got back from visiting my sister in upstate New York and drove through western North Carolina on the way home. Just north of Rutherfordton on route 221 I spotted a historical marker identifying the site of the Rutherford Mint which was operated by Christopher Bechtler and his son Augustus from 1931 until the late 1840s. There they struck $5.00 and $2.50 gold coins. In 1832, to accommodate the need for a smaller denomination they began striking $1.00 gold coins