The area now known as Vermont was claimed by both New York and New Hampshire until Vermonters proclaimed the territory an independent republic in 1777 after the original thirteen colonies declared independence from England. It remained such until Vermont was admitted as the fourteenth state on March 4, 1791.
During the intervening years, the Republic of Vermont became the first American local government to establish a mint. In 1785 the Vermont legislature established a four-man committee that granted Reuben Harmon, Jr. an exclusive contract to mint low-denomination copper coins.
The Vermont Copper Coin: 1785-88
Harmon enlisted a New York silversmithing firm to produce the coin designs and dies. He acquired a coining press and set up his mint in 1785 in the town of Rupert, about 75 miles southwest of Montpelier on the New York border. William Coley, one of the partners in the silversmithing firm, moved to Rupert and began working at the mint.
Production began in 1785 using copper owned by Harmon. It was soon discovered that Vermont coppers were considerably heavier than those made in other states, so in October of that year, the Vermont coining act was amended to make Vermont coins more closely conform to the others.
Varieties and Values of Vermont Coppers
Vermont Coppers include both landscape and portrait designs in 13 types with 40 varieties including two which may be contemporary counterfeits.
The first face (obverse) designs had a plow in the foreground with the sun rising over the Green Mountains behind it. Variously referred to as the landscape, plow, or Green Mountain design, they had three versions of “Republic of Vermont” in Latin around the coin’s circumference. The reverse had a design known as a Nova Constellatio with 14 stars interspersed among the rays and inscribed Quarta Decima Stella, Latin for Fourteen Stars, indicating Vermont’s intention to become the fourteenth state.
In 1786 a design with a bust wearing a cap and a wreath was introduced. The portrait resembled an infant more than an adult, giving the coin its name “Baby Head.” It’s one of the more common Vermont coppers in lesser grades, but an AU-53 sample sold for $34,500 in 2008.
The 1787 “Britannia” reverse mimicked British coins (still plentiful in circulation at the time) to establish their acceptability. An AU-53 coin auctioned for $10,925 in 2006.
Later coins depicted various bust portraits and reverses, and samples in good condition have sold for $30,000 and up. The record is held by a 1788 right-facing bust with Et Lib Inde on the reverse. It sold for $71,875 at auction in 2003.
Collecting Vermont Coppers
This series is smaller than the runs of Connecticut and New Jersey coppers, but it includes varieties that are interesting, rare, and attractive. Some of the 40 varieties are extremely rare, and most coins were heavily circulated so finding top-quality examples can be hard.
You can learn much more about Vermont coppers on the Notre Dame University website. PCGS Coin Facts has details, illustrations, and price information about the various coin types of Vermont copper coins.
Colonial and Early American coin collecting is a hobby of its own, and Vermont coppers are some of the rarest and most expensive. But there are many Early American state coins available at reasonable prices for collectors of all levels. PCGS Coin Facts has a comprehensive listing of the various types, rarity, and estimated value of those coins in different grades.
Early American coins have intriguing stories to tell. While many are rare and quite expensive to own, several others are affordably priced and excellent starts to a fascinating hobby. We’ll look at more of these special coins in future blogs.
