Lot 4235
Christopher Bechtler, $2.50 GEORGIA, 64 gr. 22 carats. AU-55. The rims are different than normal. Maybe shaved long ago, they have some roughness or graininess. The surfaces appear to have been gently wiped or cleaned as well, but all in all this is a decent example of the early $2.50 denomination (much scarcer than the more often seen Bechtler dollars). Well worth considering.
The Bechtler coinage extended over a period of 20 years and was successful in every respect. It received the implied consent of the United States government and at the same time was widely accepted in the channels of commerce in many districts in North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. Based upon the recorded coinage of $2,241,850.50 from the period 1831-1840 plus additional specimens made in the next decade, it is probable that close to a million coins, if not more, were struck bearing the Bechtler imprint.
Their prevalence in circulation at one time was attested to by one of Rutherfordton County's older citizens who during the early 20th century told researcher Clarence Griffin that he was 16 years old before he ever saw any coins other than those minted by Bechtler.
Estimated Value $9,000 - 11,000.
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| Realized $14,950 |
