10463

1849 $2 1/2 Mormon Quarter Eagle MS62 NGC. Lustro

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:47,500.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1849 $2 1/2 Mormon Quarter Eagle MS62 NGC. Lustro
<B>1849<$2 1/2> Mormon Quarter Eagle MS62 NGC.</B></I> Lustrous and quite pleasing for this very elusive issue. The coin is well centered and apparently never circulated. Examination of the surfaces will note a few fine surface lines, and this coin is identifiable by a tiny scratch between AN of AND with another small nick above the N of that word. For the specialist, this coin represents a wonderful opportunity, as it is tied with one other as the finest graded by NGC, with none of equal or finer quality seen by PCGS.<BR> The history of the Mormon's include their involvement in the California Gold Rush which began in 1848. Many Mormon's already lived along the American River where gold was discovered, and some of the new gold ore was soon on its way back to Salt Lake City, Utah to the Mormon Territory. Brigham Young took the opportunity to make the gold dust into their own gold coinage. The necessary equipment was obtained and dies were engraved. The devices chosen are important to the church. On the obverse, the Emblem of the Mormon Priesthood was placed, a three pointed Phrygian crown above the all-seeing eye. HOLINESS TO THE LORD surrounds these central devices. On the reverse, the clasped hands symbolize friendship, G.S.L.C.P.G. is abbreviated for Great Salt Lake City Pure Gold despite the gold having come from California. Furthermore, the gold used for these coins was anything but pure, with the natural alloys plus additional alloys were added when the bullion was prepared for coinage. These gold coins were in desperate need for commerce, and many circulated well beyond the Utah Territory, especially so in California's Gold Rush country. It soon became known that these Mormon gold coins were seriously underweight, and the pure gold claim was a fraud. A smear campaign arose against these lightweight coins, including the Baldwin gold pieces, and many refused to accept them, or take them at a 25 percent discount to their stated value. In reality, their gold weight was about ten percent below the stated value. The smear campaign worked, and most were gathered up and melted to be recoined into other more accepted coinage. Therefore, very few survived unless they were saved near the time of issue, and all early Mormon gold such as this finds very high collector demand. To obtain one of the finest known examples of the Quarter eagle is a real opportunity for the Territorial gold specialist, and should not be missed. Listed on page 308 of the 2005 <I>Guide Book.</B></I>