Well...I haven't been following this so pardon me if this is off-topic or already mentioned, but I'll put in a plug for a historic site
associated with my Dept.....that's Reed Gold Mine, about 20 miles Northeast of Charlotte NC. Here's a link:

http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/sections/hs/reed/reed.htm

The first gold-rush in the US was in NC.....and this is a nice site, with a small museum/visitor center showing the tools of the trade
and various mining equipment and methods etc....there's also a bit of the mine open to the public, and at certain times of the
year, visitors can pan for gold as well....although the stuff (sorry--pretty technical huh??) is brought down from western NC
....anyways, it's a fun site for the family and well worth visiting if you're passing through our state.

We also had a small lobby exhibit last year called "NC Gold" that showcased some of the Bechtler coins and mint equipment in
our collection....along with various artifacts associated with Reed. I believe the museum also had a larger exhibit back in the late
70's and the Mint Museum down in Charlotte also had an exhibit about the Bechtlers,  the first gold rush in NC etc. Perhaps
someone (??) from the Mint Museum could add to this....

KT

Kent Thompson,  Photographer
North Carolina Museum of History

Opinions expressed in this message may not represent the policy of my agency.
.

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