Mormon Gold Coins

I've read a very interesting article/website that talks about the old days back when the Mormons minted their own gold pieces in Salt Lake City. It apparently started back in 1849 and went through 1860.
Based on the story on this article HERE:

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Apparently a couple of guys took a tour of the mint, then later stole 200 of the $10 gold pieces. There whereabouts are still unknown today. I can imagine those two outlaws deep in the Sevier desert finally realizing their mistake and fighting each other during the last few moments of their lives fighting over that bag of coins and the coins spilling out onto the sand.. so my guess is that they're probably not in the bag with their dead corpses ... but again that's just speculation.
That desert is also a couple hundred square miles so the area to search would be difficult assuming that the coins are even there?
Does anyone else have any links to this story, or can link some other actual documentation/newspapers showing the reported stolen coins? I was just curious. If however, there was a remote possibility that in fact they were in excellent condition and all together - based upon a $75,000 per coin value that puts it at $15 million dollars!





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http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,13971.msg88566.html#msg88566

Hmm I have a friend that works for one of the local newspapers, I wonder how much truth there is to that story? Thanks for the tip.


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http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,13971.msg88812.html#msg88812

If you want to make huge money find a $50 mormon coin. Only the coin diecast has been found, never an actual coin! I will send you pics when I find one...

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http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,13971.msg89142.html#msg89142

I have researched this "story" and it seems it is just that.  As far as I found it first appeared in a 1975 issue of True Treasure or Teasure World,can't remember which as my file on it is @ home. In 1982 G. Thompson's "Some Dreams Die", book on treasures of Utah has a version giving 1850 as the date for the theft. Then an August 1994 or 96 issue of Lost Treasure elaborated on the earlier stories with a 1849 date. In Aug. of 2008 Lost treasure ran another article with a M. Lewis signing her name to a story that except for a few sentences @ the beginning and an updated estimate of these "missing coins",is a verbatim copy of the 1990's story. She cites as her references,not the earlier author of the story she copied,but "Latter Day Saints Archives,Salt Lake City Utah!". I read every Mormon Newspaper I could locate to no avail. The Deseret News ,the Salt Lake newspaper that began 15 June 1850, is on line and mentions nothing. Remember these events stretched over a few years from theft to finding the supposed remains a few yrs. later of Reg & Dave Baldwin. I read Hosea Stouts memoirs,he was  supposedly the "Lawman" who organized the "posse" that tore out after these two thieves. Nothing! He mentions such huge crimes as the theft of a pair of boots,the apprehension,trial, sentencing and punishment of crimes such as this. However two non-Mormons who make off with over half the known wealth of Utah @ that time, goes without noting . Highly unlikely,as these coins  essentially belonged to the Mormon Church, as they were made from tithed gold, B.Young had members retrieve  largely from Cal. & Nevada. This would be front page news from discovery until the Baldwins fate was known. Even if the authorities had wanted to keep it "secret" to stave of public panic,figures in the loop would still make entries in their "personal,private" diaries! I have a couple more sources to look at however,I have simply found absolutely ZERO period source material that notes such a crime ever took place,much less a Reg or Dave Baldwin existed.ZIP,NADDA ,NIL. Like I say I have a few more sources to check ,however it seems it is simply just a tale. regards,Karl

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http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,13971.msg91112.html#msg91112

It would be a worthwhile find..my oh my:) For you Utah guys, I had one guy tell me that most people are looking just west of Tooele in the desert. Have you heard anything like that. Maybe Kennecott found it and that is how they got started on the mountain there LOL
Any further word, give us a post. I have not been to Utah in about three years. it is a great place to live.

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http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,13971.msg96114.html#msg96114