Is This Ebay Gold Dollar Legit?

"A Reference to Federal Gold Coinage" Vol 1. Paul Taglione is a really difficult to find book but very cerebral and an intense exploration of GDs by date mm. By all means get Bowers second edition as the condition census, auction records and "prices" are updated. Gold dollar references are limited and most out of date. A subscription to PCGS online Coinfacts is a big help.

I can see my situation heading in that direction, yes... ;)

ambro -- OK, I'll get the second edition of Bowers' book. I'll also look into PCGS online Coinfacts...I think Coinfacts used to be separate from PCGS, but now the Coinfacts website refers you to PCGS, if I recall correctly...

Well, I may have just had a "successful" purchase...

I'll post back, with picture and details, once I get the coin...

Steve

ambro -- wow! That's a terrific coin! And, I'm not familiar with a "Vermont Immune Columbia..."

Do you have a pic of THAT?

Steve

During this period, my ancestors in Vermont (my family goes back three centuries in Vermont) were an independent Republic, having fought their way free from New York and New Hampshire. Vermont was to become the 14th State in 1791.

The Republic commissioned coinage, produced by Reuben Harmon of Rupert and (for a couple of years) a mint at Machin's Mills, Newburgh, NY (where this coin originated).

I exaggerated slightly in my last post - there are thirty-some known of this variety, called Ryder-1, although since so many are in museum collections, few private collectors will ever get to own one. As such, it's an extremely important coin, and I'd be surprised if ambro51 doesn't consider it one of the highlights of his collection.

Vermont was "officially" acquired by the British, from the French, in the Treaty of Paris in 1763 although they'd been sniping at each other over the territory for at least thirty years by that point. Both New York and New Hampshire claimed the area; Benning Wentworth - the Governor of the New Hampshire territory and namesake of my home town of Bennington - made land grants to his constituents in the area so that many of Vermont's original settlers were from the east.

New York took exception to this (given a favorable decision by the Crown), making its' own land grants and ultimately declaring New Hampshire's grants invalid. Ethan Allen and his Boys weren't having that, being holders of New Hampshire grants; they organized into a militia, several hundred strong, and became the de facto government/controlling force in the area. Not much actual "fighting" happened, since the Green Mountain Boys were so strong; we Vermonters just like to think that we fought and won when in reality we were too bad for them to mess with.