Atlanta, GA, September 11, 1997 - Rare coin investment firm, Hancock
and Harwell, is pleased to announce the long-awaited completion of the
Duke’s Creek Collection, a private collection of North Georgia gold
coins. Assembled over of a period of many years of searching the United
States for the best coins, this collection reflects one of the most
important periods in our nation’s coinage history.
The collection is made up of three different groups of rare Georgia gold
coins. The earliest is the Templeton Reid set minted in 1830. It is
comprised of a $2.50, $5 and the "finest known" $10 piece. There are
only two known Templeton Reid gold sets in the world outside of the
Smithsonian, and of the two, this is the finest set. Templeton Reid
began the first private mint in our nation’s history located in
Gainesville, Georgia.
The second set in the Duke’s Creek Collection is comprised of the
Georgia Bechtler coinage of the early 1830’s. Although most historians
agree that the Bechtlers placed the words "Georgia Gold" on the coins to
denote the higher purity of gold commonly found in Georgia mines, some
may have actually been minted from a combination of Georgia and North
Carolina gold.
An impressive set of gold coins minted at the Federal Mint in Dahlonega,
Georgia between 1838 and 1861 makes up the third component of the Duke’s
Creek Collection.
Forty-four of the sixty-four coins are graded Mint State 60 or
greater. Nineteen are Mint State 63 or better and include a 1858-D Gold
Dollar in Mint State 65 as well as Mint State 65 Half Eagles of 1841,
1846 and 1854. These are the only Half Eagles from the Dahlonega Mint
graded this high by either the Professional Coin Grading Service or
Numismatic Guaranty Corporation, both independent grading services.
Other highlights of the Duke’s Creek Collection include many of the
finest known specimens, including the fully struck 1861-D Half Eagle in
Mint State 63, and a Mint State 63 1850-D Gold Dollar. Also included
are the Mint State 64 specimens of the Half Eagles of 1851, 1858 and
1860. Many of these coins represent the finest specimens that Hancock
and Harwell has acquired over the last 25 years from the notable
collections of John Work Garrett and Virgil Brand as well as
industrialist Louis Eliasberg.
Hancock and Harwell has searched for years for the coins that complete
this collection. With over a twenty-five year history in rare coin
collectibles and investments, the firm has helped build Dahlonega coin
collections for Atlanta businessmen, Arthur L. Montgomery, Numismatist
Bill House, George Elliott, Billy Fuller, Richard Harris, and Bill
Clary. Other highly prized collections include the Georgia Collection,
the Gainesville Collection, the Michigan Collection and the North
Georgia Collection.
Numismatic Literary Guild award winner Douglas Winter upon viewing the
North Georgia Collection, said "I am impressed with the beauty and
perfect grading of this collection and it convinces me that Jack Hancock
knows Dahlonega Gold." Winter’s recently released book entitled, Gold
Coins of the Dahlonega Mint (DWN Publishing, 1997) can be obtained
through Hancock and Harwell’s office or through its website.
Images, as well as information about the 64 coins that make the North
Georgia Collection of Dahlonega Gold coins, may be viewed on the world
wide web at www.dahlonegagold.com.
