1786 VT 1/2P Vermontensium Half Penny

Coin Details

Description

Bearing the full Latin legend AUCTORITATE VERMONTENSIUM ("By the Authority of the People of Vermont"), this 1786 copper half penny is cataloged as RR-6 and Whitman 2210. The VERMONTENSIUM spelling is the most grammatically correct Latin genitive plural form used in the Vermont copper series — other dies employ shorter or altered forms of the state name — making this variety of particular interest to collectors who track the linguistic variations across Vermont's coinage. The landscape obverse design, continued from the initial 1785 issues, depicts the Green Mountains of Vermont with a rising sun above and a plow in the foreground, symbolizing the state's agricultural character and natural beauty. The reverse features a seated Liberty figure with a liberty cap on a pole, surrounded by the legend INDE ET LIB and the date. Vermont coppers were authorized by the state legislature in July 1785, with production contracted to Reuben Harmon Jr. at his Rupert, Vermont, facility in Bennington County. Struck in copper, the coin follows the halfpenny standard of the period. The RR (Ryder-Revised) numbering system provides the standard die variety attribution for Vermont coppers. Classified as scarce with the notation that it uses the full VERMONTENSIUM legend, this variety appeals to collectors who appreciate the intersection of numismatics and Classical linguistics. Vermont's copper coinage of 1785-1788 represents one of the most compact and systematically organized state copper series, making complete die variety collections an achievable if challenging goal.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. Uses the full VERMONTENSIUM legend.

Cross References

RR-6; Whitman 2210