Abstract:
n 1830, there were fifty-six active gold mines in North Carolina, and the state was called the Golden State. Christopher Bechtler, Sr., moved to Rutherford County in 1830, and, in 1831, opened a currency mint. Bechtler died in 1842, but his mint continued stamping coins until the late 1850s. Many residents of Rutherford and surrounding counties have coins passed down through their families.