The Dahlonega mint existed from 1838 to 1861. It was built to help coining gold that was found in Georgia, starting in the 1820s. Transporting gold from Georgia up to Philadelphia was both dangerous and a long/difficult journey through the Appalachian mountains. So during this very short era, $1 $2.5 and $5 gold coins were minted. The mint was seized at the start of the civil war by the Confederacy, but never used to make coins. It never re-opened for minting gold but eventually burned down in 1878. Coins from this mint are scarce and quite fun to collect.
