c.1792 Kentucky Token - Vine Edge

Coin Details

Description

Produced circa 1792, likely in Birmingham, England, by the firm of Peter Kempson or a similar token manufacturer, this Kentucky Token features the vine pattern edge — an ornamental edge treatment created by a Castaing machine or collar die that imparts a continuous vine and leaf motif around the coin's circumference. Cataloged as Whitman 8670, the obverse displays a hand extending from clouds holding a scroll inscribed OUR CAUSE IS JUST above a group of fifteen stars (representing Kentucky's anticipated admission as the fifteenth state, which occurred on June 1, 1792), while the reverse features a large star pattern encircled by the legend UNANIMITY IS THE STRENGTH OF SOCIETY. The vine edge is one of several edge varieties found on Kentucky tokens, which also include lettered, engrailed, and plain edge variants — each representing a different collar die or edge-finishing technique employed during production. Struck in copper, the token weighs approximately 9.5 grams with a 29 mm diameter. The Kentucky tokens are generally attributed to English manufacture based on their stylistic similarities to the numerous trade tokens and political pieces produced by Birmingham die sinkers during the 1790s, a period when English manufacturers exported tokens to multiple colonial and former colonial markets. Classified as moderately scarce, the vine edge variety is distinguished from its plain and engrailed edge siblings by the decorative edge pattern, which adds a third dimension of detail beyond the obverse and reverse designs and provides an additional identification point for variety collectors.

Rarity Notes

Moderately scarce.

Cross References

Whitman 8670