While there had been talk of a gold dollar as far back as 1791, it wasn’t until the gold rushes of the 1830s and 1840s that it became a viable idea. The U.S. government was spurred to issue its own gold dollars after a private mint in North Carolina began to produce, in 1833, a series of coins struck from gold found nearby as well as in the neighboring state of Georgia. Over the ensuing years, various members of government advocated for the production of a gold dollar, but Congress did not approve it until 1849. Flush with gold from the California Gold Rush, the U.S. government minted gold dollars until 1889. Uncirculated versions are rare for all dates before 1879.
