1837 C. Bechtler Five Dollar Gold Piece - 128 Grains, 22 Carats, No Colon

Coin Details

Auction Record

$52,875 MS63 03-09-2017 Kagin's

Description

The 1837 Christopher Bechtler Five Dollar Gold Piece with 128 grains, 22 carats, and no colon (inscribed as "RUTHERFO" without the trailing colon) is distinguished from its companion variety (PCGS #10106) by the absence of punctuation after the grain weight and the truncated geographic inscription. The "RUTHERFO" spelling — cutting off the "RD" from "RUTHERFORD" — represents yet another variation in how Christopher Bechtler's dies rendered the Rutherford County name. The truncation of "RUTHERFORD" to "RUTHERFO" reflects the spatial constraints of fitting all necessary inscriptions onto the relatively small die field of a five-dollar gold piece. With weight, carat, denomination, county name, and Bechtler's own name all competing for space, abbreviations and truncations were practical necessities. Each truncation point — whether "RUTHERF:" or "RUTHERFO" or the full "RUTHERFORD" — creates a distinct variety for collectors. This variety continues the 128-grain, 22-carat Georgia Gold standard, with the obverse featuring "GEORGIA GOLD" and the reverse displaying the denomination and Christopher Bechtler's name. The absence of the colon after the grain weight is a clear diagnostic that distinguishes this die pairing from the colon variety and from the abbreviated "RUTHERF:" version, making attribution straightforward for collectors familiar with the Bechtler series.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. Estimated 20-35 surviving examples. The no-colon "RUTHERFO" variety is slightly less common than the colon variety.

Cross References

PCGS #10103; NGC #31042