Vermont Copper Coins

About This Coin

Authorized by the Republic of Vermont in 1785 and produced under a franchise granted to Reuben Harmon Jr. of Rupert, Vermont copper coins represent one of the most significant state coinage programs of the Confederation period, spanning production from 1785 through 1788. Struck in copper with a 28 mm diameter and plain edge, the series encompasses two major design types: the early landscape obverse featuring a sun, plow, and mountains with VERMONTENSIUM RES PUBLICA ("Republic of Vermont"), and the later portrait bust type with AUCTORITATE VERMONTENSIUM ("By the Authority of the People of Vermont"). The reverse consistently displays a seated Liberty figure with olive branch and liberty pole, accompanied by INDE ET LIB (abbreviated from INDEPENDENTIA ET LIBERTAS). Vermont was unique among the Confederation-era states in being an independent republic rather than one of the original thirteen colonies, having declared independence from both Britain and New York in 1777. Harmon's minting operation, and the various subcontractors who produced dies and struck coins under his franchise, generated an extensive array of die varieties cataloged in the Ryder-Roper (RR) reference system. The transition from landscape to portrait obverse in 1786 reflected a broader standardization trend among state coinages, and the later Vermont coppers share stylistic connections with Connecticut coppers, suggesting overlapping die-sinker networks. Collectors pursuing Vermont coppers encounter a series rich in historical significance and die variety complexity.