1849 Oregon Ten Dollar - White Metal Restrike, 9.33 Grams

Coin Details

Description

The 1849 Oregon Exchange Company Ten Dollar white metal restrike at 9.33 grams is a lighter-weight variant among the white metal impressions struck from the original Oregon territorial ten-dollar dies. This weight distinguishes it from the heavier 10.89-gram white metal variant also known from the same dies, with the weight difference attributable to variations in planchet thickness or diameter during the hand-preparation process typical of nineteenth-century numismatic restrikes. The piece carries the standard Oregon Exchange Company designs: the frontier beaver on the obverse, a symbol of the Pacific Northwest's original economic engine, and the "10 D." denomination within a wreath on the reverse with the "T.O." territorial designation. The soft tin-based white metal alloy captures die details with exceptional fidelity, often producing sharper impressions than the original gold strikings achieved on their native gold dust planchets. This restrike is cataloged within the general Territorials denomination rather than the specific Oregon Gold denomination, reflecting its base-metal composition. White metal restrikes of the Oregon Exchange Company coinage served the nineteenth-century collecting community by providing affordable access to one of the rarest and most historically significant territorial coin designs in American numismatics.

Rarity Notes

Rare. This specific weight variant (9.33g) is represented by fewer than 10-15 known examples. White metal restrikes as a group are more available than gold restrikes but remain scarce.

Cross References

PCGS #507070; Kagin K-2d (Ten Dollar White Metal Restrike, 9.33g variant)