1849 Mormon Five Dollar - Copper Restrike, Uniface Reverse

Coin Details

Auction Record

$8,400 09-24-2018 Kagin's

Description

The 1849 Mormon Gold five-dollar copper restrike with uniface reverse is the companion piece to the uniface obverse restrike, produced using only the reverse die of the Deseret Mint's half eagle coinage. This piece displays the clasped hands design — symbolizing friendship and fraternity — along with the "PURE GOLD" inscription, denomination, and date, while the opposite side remains blank. The reverse design of the Mormon half eagle carries important symbolic content. The clasped hands represent the brotherhood and cooperative spirit central to the Mormon community in Utah, while "PURE GOLD" was both a statement about the coin's metallic content and an implicit claim about the moral character of the community that produced it. In practice, the Mormon gold coins were found to contain slightly less gold than their stated face value, a discrepancy that led to periodic disputes with non-Mormon merchants and contributed to the coins' gradual withdrawal from broader circulation. Like its obverse counterpart, this uniface reverse copper restrike was produced from the original Deseret Mint dies at some point after the initial 1849 production. The separation of obverse and reverse into individual uniface strikings indicates these were die impressions made to assess or demonstrate die condition, or produced as paired collector pieces. The copper composition provides excellent detail reproduction of the hand-engraved reverse design.

Rarity Notes

Very rare. Uniface reverse copper restrikes parallel the obverse version in extreme scarcity. Fewer than 10-15 examples believed extant. The obverse and reverse uniface restrikes are occasionally offered as matched pairs.

Cross References

PCGS #526339