(1790) Token Ryegate, VT, Burzinski-246 Communion

Coin Details

Description

This 1790 communion token from Ryegate, Vermont is cataloged as Burzinski-246 in the standard reference for American communion tokens. Communion tokens were small metallic pieces distributed by Presbyterian and Reformed churches to members who had been examined and approved to receive the Lord's Supper. The practice originated in Scotland during the Reformation as a safeguard against unworthy communicants and was carried to America by Scottish and Scots-Irish immigrants who settled throughout the colonies. Ryegate, Vermont was established in the 1770s by Scottish settlers recruited directly from Caithness and Sutherland in the Scottish Highlands by the Ryegate Company. These immigrants brought their Presbyterian traditions with them, including the communion token system that was central to Scottish sacramental practice. A 1790 token from this community represents one of the earliest documented American communion tokens and reflects the continuation of Old World religious customs in the New England frontier. The Burzinski catalog, compiled by Henry Burzinski, provides the comprehensive classification system for American communion tokens, assigning numbers by geographic location and chronological order.

Rarity Notes

Early American communion tokens from the eighteenth century are rare. The Ryegate, Vermont token is a significant piece for both religious and Vermont colonial history. Fewer than a dozen examples are typically known for most pre-1800 communion tokens.

Cross References

PCGS #913294; Burzinski-246; Ryegate, Vermont Presbyterian communion series