Book excerpt: Douglas Winter is regarded as one of the leading experts in the field of United States gold coins. This second edition of the award winning book, Gold Coins of the Dahlonega Mint, includes new data and updated knowledge about these rare treasures and the rich history behind the mint that coined them. Many collectors of branch mint gold will find much value in the updated condition census estimates and the latest auction and sale prices for Dahlonega gold dollars, quarter eagles, three dollar pieces and half eagles. Completely revised rarity estimates provide a window into surviving specimens, and ultimately the true value, that goes well beyond the population data provided by major coin grading companies. Complete with a brief history of the Mint and the intriguing story leading to the conception of a branch mint in Dahlonega, to its last days during the civil war, Winter takes the reader through a year by year account of all Dahlonega gold coinage struck during the 1800s.