One of the Few Surviving Bank Notes from the First Mormon Bank in Salt Lake City, Signed by Brigham Young: Of the original 5,150 notes, only 184 notes, valued at $269.00 in total, were outstanding in May 1850

Repeated conflict led Brigham Young to relocate his group of Latter-day Saints to the Salt Lake Valley, which was then part of Mexico. Young organized the journey that would take the Mormon pioneers to Winter Quarters, Nebraska, in 1846, then to the Salt Lake Valley. By the time Young arrived at the final destination, it had come under American control as a result of war with Mexico, although U.S. sovereignty would not be confirmed until 1848. Young arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847, a date now recognized as Pioneer Day in Utah. Young's expedition was one of the largest and one of the best organized westward treks.

After three years of leading the church as the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Young reorganized a new First Presidency and was declared president of the church on December 27, 1847.

As there was no standard United States currency at the time, Brigham Young and his associates in the LDS Church established a mint in 1848 that produced coinage and currency backed by the church. The newly minted currency began to be issued in January 1849, with the bills bearing the January 20 date being the very first printing. Although over three thousand notes were printed in this run, when the church mint resumed coinage in the fall of 1849 the paper currency was redeemed and most of it was destroyed. Of the original 5,150 notes, only 184 notes, valued at $269.00 in total, were outstanding in May 1850. This particular bill is especially notable as it was issued to Newell K. Whitney, presiding bishop of the church. A beautiful example of this exceedingly rare banknote.

Rare partly-printed note of Mormon currency in the amount of one dollar, 3.75 x 2, filled out in another hand to N. K. Whitney, signed in ink by Brigham Young in full and countersigned by Thomas Bullock and Heber C. Kimball. The note is issued at Great Salt Lake City on January 20, 1849. Blindstamped with the seal of the Twelve Apostles.