1849 Mormon Two and a Half Dollar - Copper Restrike, Uniface

Coin Details

Description

The 1849 Mormon Gold quarter eagle copper uniface restrike is a die impression from the $2.50 denomination dies of the Deseret Mint, struck in copper on a single side. The Mormon $2.50 gold piece was the smallest denomination produced at Brigham Young's territorial mint in Salt Lake City and is among the rarest of all Mormon gold denominations in its original gold form. The 1849 quarter eagle used the same general design vocabulary as the larger Mormon denominations — "HOLINESS TO THE LORD" with the All-Seeing Eye on the obverse and clasped hands with the denomination on the reverse — scaled down to the smaller planchet. The copper uniface restrike captures whichever die face was used (obverse or reverse) in the sharper detail that copper's harder composition allows compared to the original soft gold alloy. The Mormon quarter eagle is significant as the smallest denomination in the Deseret Mint's output, reflecting the need for lower-value coins in everyday frontier commerce. While the larger $5, $10, and $20 pieces handled major transactions, the $2.50 denomination facilitated the smaller exchanges necessary for provisions, supplies, and services within the growing Salt Lake settlement. Copper restrikes from the quarter eagle dies are extraordinarily rare, as fewer examples of the $2.50 dies appear to have been used for later numismatic productions compared to the more frequently restruck $5 and $10 dies.

Rarity Notes

Extremely rare. Among the scarcest of all Mormon numismatic items. Fewer than 5-10 examples of the copper uniface quarter eagle restrike survive. The small denomination combined with uniface format makes this piece highly elusive.

Cross References

PCGS #621946