(1897-1898) Mormon Five Dollar - Uniface Copper Reverse, Private Restrike

Coin Details

Auction Record

$14,400 MS64BN 11-09-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

The 1897-1898 Mormon Five Dollar uniface copper reverse private restrike is a late nineteenth-century impression from the Mormon half eagle reverse die, produced privately outside the established Kagin catalog sequence. The approximate dating of 1897-1898 places this restrike in a specific period of the dies’ custodial history. By the late 1890s, the Mormon gold dies had passed through several hands since the closure of the Deseret Mint nearly five decades earlier. Each custodian potentially produced restrikes for their own purposes — whether for sale to collectors, as numismatic curiosities, or as historical souvenirs. The "private restrike" designation distinguishes this production from the better-documented restrike sessions cataloged by Kagin. The copper reverse displays the clasped hands, "PURE GOLD," and "FIVE DOLLARS" with whatever die state characteristics were present in the 1897-1898 period. Comparing this piece’s die state with the Kagin-numbered restrikes helps establish where in the chronological sequence this private production occurred.

Rarity Notes

Very rare. The 1897-1898 private restrike is an uncommon variety produced outside the standard catalog framework.

Cross References

NGC: none (private restrike)