1849 Oregon Five Dollar - White Metal Restrike

Coin Details

Description

The 1849 Oregon Exchange Company Five Dollar white metal restrike at 6.42 grams represents one of the weight variants among the base-metal restrikes produced from the original five-dollar territorial dies. Struck in white metal — a tin-based alloy historically favored for numismatic reproductions — this piece allows collectors to study the original die work of the Oregon Exchange Company's beaver design without the extraordinary expense of the gold originals. The 6.42-gram weight places this restrike in the lighter range of known white metal five-dollar impressions, suggesting it was struck on a thinner or smaller planchet than some other examples. Weight variations among white metal restrikes are common, as these pieces were produced individually or in small batches on hand-prepared planchets rather than the standardized blanks used for mass coinage production. Each restrike is therefore somewhat unique in its physical characteristics. The five-dollar denomination's beaver design — a symbol of the fur trade that had been the Pacific Northwest's primary economic engine before the Gold Rush — reproduces clearly in the soft white metal. Hamilton Campbell and Victor Wallace's somewhat crude but characterful engraving captures the beaver in profile, surrounded by the Oregon Exchange Company inscription. This distinctly frontier artistic style has become one of the most recognizable designs in American territorial numismatics, and the white metal restrikes preserve it faithfully for study and appreciation.

Rarity Notes

Rare. White metal five-dollar restrikes are the most available composition among the restrikes but remain scarce. This specific weight variant (6.42g) is represented by fewer than 10-15 known examples.