Mont. Code § 70-21-207
Letters patent from the United States or from the state of Montana or other documents and instruments or duly certified copies thereof issued by or pursuant to the authority of the United States or the state of Montana which evidence title to land or affect the title thereof, executed and authenticated pursuant to existing law, may be recorded without acknowledgment or further proof; and where letters patent have been lost or are beyond the control of any party deraigning title therefrom or for any reason they remain unrecorded, any person claiming title thereunder may cause a transcript of the copy of such letters patent kept by the government issuing the same, duly certified by the officer or individual having lawful custody of such copy, to be recorded in lieu of the original; and such recorded copy shall have prima facie the same force and effect as the original for title or for evidence until the original letters patent be recorded.
§ 70-21-207, MCA