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Vermont
Stella
by Brian Holland
Among the most interesting and visually appealing of all US
Colonial issues, the Vermont landscape coppers first appeared in 1785. For reasons not
clearly understood they were replaced in 1786 by more conventional designs which imitated
other colonial coins such as the Connecticut's.
Usually struck on crude, imperfect planchets, they are rarely found in high grade. The
landscape coppers convey a wealth of detail corresponding to the Vermont countryside and
politics of the day. The obverse exhibits the Green Mountains, from which the state takes
it name (Vermont being the compound of the French for green and mountain), over which the
sun appears to rise. The plow may symbolize the land's fertility.
On the reverse is an all-seeing eye surrounded by 13 stars. The Latin inscription STELLA
QUARTA DECIMA (the 14th star) is a clear reference to Vermont's desire to join the Union,
which finally transpired in 1791.
 
  
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