c.1792 Kentucky Token - Plain Edge

Coin Details

Description

Dated circa 1792 — coinciding with Kentucky's admission to the Union as the fifteenth state on June 1 of that year — this copper token celebrates Kentucky statehood with a distinctive design featuring a hand holding a scroll inscribed with the state's name on one side and a pyramid of fifteen stars representing the states of the Union on the other. The plain edge variant is distinguished from lettered-edge versions and is the more commonly encountered of the edge types. Struck in copper at 9.5 grams with a 29 mm diameter, the Kentucky Token occupies an interesting position in American numismatics as a private commemorative issue produced during the earliest years of the United States Mint's existence — a period when the boundary between official coinage, authorized tokens, and private speculation pieces remained fluid. Cataloged as Whitman 8665 and described as common for the series, the plain edge Kentucky Token is among the more accessible early American tokens for collectors building a type set of Confederation and early federal-era issues. The token's design elements — the hand-and-scroll motif and the pyramid of stars — reflect the patriotic symbolism of the 1790s, when new states joining the Union prompted commemorative productions celebrating the expanding republic. Some numismatic researchers have attributed production to English token manufacturers, who were experienced in producing copper tokens for overseas markets and may have produced the Kentucky Token on speculation for export to collectors and merchants in the United States.

Rarity Notes

Common for the series.

Cross References

Whitman 8665