1788 Vermont Copper. RR-26, Bressett 16-T, W-2190. Rarity-6. Bust Right. VG-8, porous.101.12 grains. Uniform porosity on steel brown surfaces with considerable detail remaining on the obverse. The strike is nicely centered with the legends tight to the edge. A satisfying example of this rare variety.<p><p>The Ryder-26 variety is a significant challenge for colonial collectors in any grade. Vermont specialist Tony Carlotto noted in his 1998 reference that it "is one of the classic rarities in the Vermont series. It is not a distinctive type or sub-type, but is genuinely rare." More recently, Dave Bowers suggests in his new (2018) reference that as few as a dozen examples might exist, saying "it is one of the well-known key rarities in the original Ryder listing."From a Leesburg. VA Collection. Ex the partnership of Rob Retz and David Palmer; our (Stacks) sale of the Joel Geoffrey Collection, January 2011, lot 5884.
