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HISTORICAL XOTES: MINING, METALLURGICAL AND STATISTICAL. 41
Cnited States Mint and Assay Office receipts, and do not include such bullion as went abroad, was sold directly to local jewellers, or was coined by the Bechlters * at Rutherfordton, 1ST. C.
Table II.. Statement of Gold and Silver produced in all of the Southei'n States; Deposited at the United States Assay Offices from 1793 to 1S9(J inclusice.
Year.
Amount.
Year.
Amount.
Year.
Amount.
1793-1S23
$47,000
1848
$850,692
1S73
8158,952
1S24
5,000
1S49
S91,9t>8
1874
141,647
1S25
17,000
1S50
65S.005
1S75
150,612
1S2G
20,000
1851
500,539
1876
138,256
1S27
21,000
1S52
711,449
1S77
159,009
1S2S
46,000
1S53
486,184
1878
162,925
1829
140,000
1854
323.4S9
1S79
1S6,123
1S30
460,000
1855
362,349
1SS0
203,770
1S31
519,000
1856
325,820
1SS1
197.084
1832
67S,000
1S57
141,810
1SS2
229,459
1833
S68.000
1S58
349,323
1S83
272,475
1S34
S9S.000
1859
379,677
1S84
255,259
1S35
6S6.300
1S60
231,398
1SS5
239,963
1,836
667,000
1S61
141,778
1886
272,414
1837
2S2.000
1S62
6.29S
1SS7
390,531
1838 -
358,750
1S63
1,624
1888
234.947
1S39
429.G4S
1S64
6,093
1SS9
224.323
1S40
427,311
1S05
33,345
1S90
269,997
1S41
544,661
1S66
202,000
1891
254,707
1S42
723,761
1867
106.903
1S92
262,023
1843
1,050,100
1S6S
155,660
1893
261,904
1844
928,005
1S69
191,738
1S94
263,827
1845
9S6.S49
1870
168.057
1S95
319,496
1S46
992.792
1871
138,791
1S96
270.210
1S47
1,018,079
1S72
164.461
Total,
25,870,310
The following- note concerning this local coinage by the Beclitlers is added bv Mr. Geo. B. Hanna of the 17. S. Assay Office at Charlotte, X. C: *
"Gold was coined at Rutherfordton by three Bechtlers: Christian Bechtler, A. Bechtler and Christian Bechtler, Jr. A. Bechtler came in between C. Bechtler and C. Bechtler, Jr. I have in hand a 5-dollar gold piece stamped ' A.'
Christian Bechtler, jeweller by trade, who resided near Kutherfordton, N. C, was urged hy residents in Rutherford and adjoining counties to coin the gold of that neighborhood, as transportation to the only mint then existing-rPhilad^lphia, Pa.) was hazardous and difficult. He commenced coining in 1831, and continued until his death, in 1843, when his nephew, O. Bechtler, Jr., continued the minting until 1857. No regular entries of the quantity of gold minted were made: sometimes as much as $4000 to $5000 were coined in a week; and for a period of ten years the annual quantity was fairly equal. See Second Annual Ecport Survey of South Carolina, 1857. O. M. Lieber, p. 135.
- The years 1838 to 1847 exclude the amounts deposited at the New Orleans Mint, which were not available for each year. The total amount at New Orleans in those years from the Southern States was only $11(5,C8i>.