However, when gold was discovered and the Carolina gold rush began in the 1830s, a man by the name of Christopher Bechtler offered his services to prospectors and began to turn their raw gold into coins, including a $1 gold coin. The United States Government didn't originally plan to make a $1 gold coin. The one dollar gold coin is the smallest denomination of gold coins made as well as the smallest size coin of all coins made by the United States Mint. Gold Dollar Coin (click image for larger view) It was made of 90% pure gold with a weight of 25.8 grains. The United States Gold Dollar Coin was authorized by the Act of Maand was produced from 1849 to 1889.
