(1831-34) $5 C. Bechtler, Assayer, with 150.G. AU55 认证号21507418, PCGS号10118

Ron Guth

In the Bechtler gold series, Kagin 15 denotes a $5 variety issued by Christopher Bechtler of Rutherford County, North Carolina.  This variety shows the denomination of $5 on one side, along with the fineness of the gold (20 Carats) and the weight (150 grains).  In 1981, reasearcher and author, Don Kagin, gave this variety a rating of Rarity 7 (7-9 examples).  Since then, additional examples have appeared and we now have auction citations for eleven different examples and images of nine of them.  

Most examples are fairly well-preserved.  At least six AU's are known, along with two Mint State examples (the best of which is PCGS MS62 formerly of the Stephen Schechter Collection).  This simple, text message of this variety is usually well struck with the notable exception of a lone PCGS AU55 that was probably struck with the dies out of parallel such that the word CAROLINA is weak as are some of the legends on the exact opposite side.