About us
The Pioneer Gold Coin Registry was inspired by the Palisades Phoenix Collection’s love of the nineteenth century U.S. gold rush era history (1830-1862). Pioneer & Private gold coin mints epitomize the rugged individualism and creativity of the times. Each individual coin demonstrates its own unique artistry and design highlighting the vibrant culture of their era. Private minters were a special breed and each carry its own history. In addition, these coins have been acquired by an army of collectors over the last 175+ years including numerous high profile collections and collectors.
History
The Pioneer or Private gold coin minting industry in the United States begins in the early 19th century with the initial discovery of gold in Southern Appalachia around 1799. This led to a very robust economy, which unfortunately had little hard “currency” with which to function as the Philadelphia mint was unable to supply the South with sufficient coinage. Enter Christopher Bechtler & Family to fill the void. They minted $1, $2.50 and $5 coins from 1831-1850. Once the federal mints at Charlotte and Dahlonega became established, the Bechtler Mints became obsolete.
Following the discovery of gold in California in 1848, a similar economic boom occurred with the same lack of “currency”
Over 100 private firms, primarily in San Francisco, tried to fill the void with private coinage but only a few survived, mostly due to unscrupulous business practices. The final nail in the private mints coffin was the establishment of the San Francisco mint in 1854, which became fully functional in 1855.
The Colorado boom began in 1859, lasting until 1862 with only a few private minters surviving.