1785 Immune Columbia Copper Pattern - VERMON Obverse

Coin Details

Description

Cataloged by Crosby and listed as Whitman 5640, this 1785 Immune Columbia copper pattern featuring a VERMON (Vermont) obverse die is one of the most important mulings in early American numismatics, physically linking two ostensibly separate coinage programs through shared die production. The VERMON obverse — an abbreviated Latinized form of Vermont — carries design elements associated with the authorized Vermont copper coinage, while the Immune Columbia reverse depicts a seated Liberty figure with the legend IMMUNE COLUMBIA ("Columbia/America is free"), connecting the piece to the broader experimental pattern series produced during the Confederation period. This die combination provides compelling physical evidence that the same minting facilities, die sinkers, or production equipment served both the Vermont state copper program and the Immune Columbia experimental coinage, revealing the interconnected network of private minting operations during the mid-1780s. The Immune Columbia patterns were produced by entrepreneurs hoping to secure government coinage contracts during the period between the end of the Revolutionary War and the establishment of the United States Mint in 1792, when no federal mint existed and the states struggled with chaotic monetary conditions. Extremely rare, the VERMON obverse Immune Columbia copper stands as a major pattern coin that documents the intersection of state-authorized coinage and experimental national designs, making it one of the most significant pieces available to advanced collectors of Confederation-era American numismatics.

Rarity Notes

Extremely rare. A major pattern coin connecting Vermont and Immune Columbia coinage.

Cross References

Crosby; Whitman 5640