There wasn't a lot of money around in Utah in 1847; Mormon pioneers lacked cash, just like the rest of the country. Brigham Young brought just $50 with him on his first trip to the Salt Lake Valley, according to numismatist Douglas Nyholm.
Due to the lack of currency in Utah at that time, Spanish dollars, French francs and other foreign coins were used alongside U.S. coins.
"It was quite a difficult system to keep things straight," Nyholm said.