1860 Mormon Five Dollar - Copper, Uniface Restrike

Coin Details

Description

This uniface copper restrike was produced from original dies used by the Deseret Mint in Salt Lake City, operated under the authority of Brigham Young and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The original Mormon gold coinage of 1849-1860 served the economic needs of the isolated Utah Territory, where federal currency was scarce. The $5 denomination was among the most commonly produced values. This piece is a later restrike, struck from only one die (uniface), using copper rather than the gold of the original issues. Restrikes like this were occasionally produced from surviving dies, sometimes decades after the original coinage ceased, to satisfy collector demand or preserve a record of the dies. The uniface nature indicates that only the obverse or reverse die was available or used for this impression. Mormon gold coins are among the most historically significant products of the American frontier mints, representing one of the few instances where a religious organization produced its own circulating coinage within the boundaries of the United States.

Rarity Notes

Very rare. Restrikes from Mormon/Deseret Mint dies are seldom encountered. The uniface copper format further limits the population to a handful of known specimens.

Cross References

K-4 (Kagin); Deseret Mint / Mormon coinage, Salt Lake City, Utah Territory