The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-10-04
Mlnt.prOps.


that time steals on and escapes us |
here as readily as it does elsewhere. |
But speaking of money, your Cor
respondent, who is supposed to know
everything OF interest in this locality,
but doesn't, has often received inquir-
les as 70 whether she was familiar
with the circumstances regarding a
certain Mint-house that stood in the
adjacent town of Rupert in the latter
/ part of the 18th century. Having at
my fingers end some Of the facts
concerning this money factory which
stood so long ago at a point on the
road leading from Dorset to Pawlet,
they are reproduced here for the in
curing mind.
The Mint referred to was owned
and operated by one Reuben Harmon,
Jr., who presented a petition to the
House for permission to coin copper.
1t is matter of history that on June
Is, 1856 a bill was proposed, present
ed to the governor and passed the
lsame day, granting the said Harmon
right to coin copper in the state for
two years from July LIST, 1855.
Tha notices and designs applied
to the coins We're selected by a COM
mittee appointed by the Assembly
Thus Vermont was the first state to
coin copper although not one Of the
United States then, nor even one Of
the original Thirteen States.
As the said Harmon had been given
the exclusive right to make copper
money for two years. it was also en-
acted that he should give the treasur-
Ter of the state his bond for 5000 Give
thousand pounds, to ensure the coins
being full weight. Is or. Troyl and
tn, metal being genuine.
do not learn that the coins ever
fell short in weight but should judge
the manufacturer was most scrupu
lous in the matter and as this money
was found to contain more copper
than the coins current in the United
States at that time an act was pass
ed to reduce the weight TO 4 pvt. Il
grains.
There were several types of thes
Rupert coins bearing various device
and legends, and there is said to b.
: one rare kind which is now appraise'
at from $40 to $40.
The first of these Harmon" coin
D bore on one side the design of tn
J. sun rising at the right, behind roy
]. Of Pine trees along the top Of a noun
J. tain. In a plain space below this i
S pillow, ever typical of Vermont in
}, dustry. This design is bordered b,
the legend, Vermonts. Res. Publica
+ 1856" The reverse side shows al
e eye in circle from which 26 ray
:. extend, 1S short ones and 10 long
e there is a star above each short ray
e and around all is the legend, stella
+ Quarta. Decima.7 The edges Of tn,
g coins were either milled or beaded
understand that there are severa
of these old coins in the possession o
different residents OF Dorset. Maste
Frederick Gilbert treasurine at leas
e one Of them in his collection OF rar'
Il pieces.
n After successfully carrying OF
J. work at his Mint for a year Mr.. Har
Z mon felt by reason of the great ex
n pense in erecting the building (sait
S 20 have been 16x1S ft.) and in get
e ting suitable material as regards met
II al. that the time granted him was to'
k short to repay him, so considering
b. the scarcity of copper coins and th'
n benefit to be derived by their contin
- ued manufacture, he petitioned tn
General Assembly at Rutland to eS
tend his term for ten years and a bill
was passed October "a, 1856, givini
him a period of eight years more.
e Among other incidents II Is stat
l. ed that Reuben Harmon, Jr., cam
& from Sufield, Conp., in 176S with hi
IS father who settled in Rupert. Reu
e ben Jr., was member Of Vernon
"a Legislature in 1850 and a Justice O
II the Peace for later period of years
n Sometime during the existence @
u hit little Mint house on "Millbrook
y in Rupert. he became a partner |
Ie the Machine Mills. now Newburg,
III Y, where he participated in the NAL
le ing OF bogus money, using brass car
er non and mortars from which the Yin
was taken by smelling This counte
= felt money was made to oppose tn
abundance Of coppers brought owe
O. by the British. A few years ae
y some old British pennies were ploy
ed up on the meadow owned by Hol
* Charles b. Kent. who is Of the Opt
a ion that there is more treasure thei
still unearthedl However, DORIS,
has never been one of the "ricl
towns Of the state,-perhaps the:
old copper coins are a bit suggestil
OF the extent OF its wealth. but 9TH
states are constantly CONTRIBUTE
Y their wealth in exchange for the va
stores OF marble which have lain bu
led here for centuries, but eventual
ID being brought to light And we ha'
something even better than riches
honest toll. and constant effort to a
lSt vance, that has produced a stur,
manhood upon which the security
IN our little settlement depends.
ent Like other places Of interest in Il
VICINITY. the site of the old Vermo
VI Mint should have n suitable mark,
itv although the building itself was mt
ed several times. Il is said.
- After disseminating the Mint I
owner left Vermont for Ohio and
: died there in 1906.
Rose L. Kent
.d Dorset. VT, Sept. &c, 1910.