A Wildcat, a Forgotten Battle, and a Near-Perfect Vermont Half Dollar
A superb 1927 Vermont Sesquicentennial Half Dollar graded MS-67+ by PCGS, with CAC approval and CMQ certification, will appear in Stack’s Bowers Galleries’ June 2026 Showcase Auction. The coin appears in Session 2, Rarities Night Featuring the Young-Dakota Collection, Lots 2001-2309. Live bidding begins June 16, 2026.
This is not a typical commemorative half dollar. It combines a bold Revolutionary War backstory, one of the most dramatic high-relief designs in the classic commemorative series, and a condition rarity grade that places it near the top of the PCGS Population Report.
A Coin With a Revolutionary War Backstory
The 1927 Vermont Sesquicentennial Half Dollar marked the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Bennington. It also honored Vermont’s independence in 1777.
That story adds the first surprise. The battle carried Bennington’s name, but the fighting took place just across the New York line at Walloomsac. British General John Burgoyne needed supplies during his Saratoga campaign. Instead, American militia forces under General John Stark, with support from Seth Warner’s Green Mountain Boys, delivered a decisive defeat.
As a result, Burgoyne lost men, momentum, and time. Two months later, he surrendered after the Battles of Saratoga. That surrender helped change the course of the American Revolution.
So, this coin does more than mark a local anniversary. It celebrates one of the turning points that helped open the road to American victory.
Ira Allen Takes the Obverse
Charles Keck designed both sides of the Vermont half dollar. The obverse shows Ira Allen facing right. The inscriptions identify him by name and call him the “FOUNDER OF VERMONT.”
Allen played a central role in early Vermont history. He helped shape the state’s identity during its independent years. He also belonged to the same Revolutionary-era world as the Green Mountain Boys, whose defiant reputation still frames the coin’s story.
Keck modeled Allen in unusually high relief. Even so, this design element did not create the strike problems that collectors might expect. The present coin shows a sharp strike, which helps explain its elite grade.
The Catamount on the Reverse
The reverse shows a catamount moving left. The inscriptions include BATTLE OF BENNINGTON, IN GOD WE TRUST, 1777-1927, AUG. 16, E PLURIBUS UNUM, and HALF DOLLAR.
The catamount also sits in high relief. In the dies, it appears opposite Allen’s high-relief portrait. That layout could have caused striking weakness. However, Vermont half dollars often show strong detail. Mint employees must have struck the issue with special care and close press attention.
That care matters. It gave the coin one of the boldest sculptural looks in the classic commemorative half dollar series.
From Vermont Banks to Coin Cabinets
The U.S. Mint released the Vermont half dollar in 1927. Vermont banks handled much of the distribution. The Bennington Battle Monument and Historical Association coordinated the effort.
Local buyers took many pieces. However, collectors also acquired their share. The issue once carried the nickname “Bennington half dollar,” a nod to the battle that inspired it.
The coin sold for $1 at issue. Congress authorized 40,000 pieces for public sale. The program did not sell out. Ultimately, just over 28,000 pieces sold, while 11,892 half dollars went back to the Mint.
That limited distribution helped the issue build a strong collector following. Yet availability alone does not explain the importance of the Stack’s Bowers coin.
The Charles French Hoard
In the 1950s, Charles French of Troy, New York, began accumulating Vermont half dollars. French ranked among the well-known dealers of his era. Over time, he acquired hundreds of examples.
However, grade did not drive that effort. Many coins in the hoard would grade around MS-62 to MS-64 by today’s standards. That detail matters because the issue often shows bagmarks, especially on Ira Allen’s portrait.
As a result, truly superb Vermont half dollars remain scarce. Smooth obverse surfaces carry a premium. Clean fields matter. Strong luster matters. So does original color.
This Stack’s Bowers coin checks those boxes.
Why This MS-67+ Vermont Half Dollar Matters
Stack’s Bowers describes this coin as exceptionally smooth and very close to perfection for the issue. Warm sandy-gold and pale russet iridescence drift across both sides. Softly frosted luster supports the color. In addition, the strike remains sharp and appealing.
The coin carries three important quality signals. PCGS graded it MS-67+. CAC approved it. CMQ also qualified it for market quality. Together, those endorsements strengthen the coin’s position as a premium example.
PCGS reports 18 coins at MS-67+, with only four finer. The finest examples grade MS-68+.
That places this coin among the finest certified 1927 Vermont Sesquicentennial Half Dollars. More importantly, it places it in the small group of coins that can satisfy advanced classic commemorative specialists, Registry Set competitors, and collectors who want eye appeal with technical quality.
A Wildcat With Real Bite
The 1927 Vermont half dollar has always stood apart. Its high-relief portrait, proud catamount, and compact Revolutionary War story give it power. Yet this specific coin adds something more.
Most Vermont halves tell the story. This one tells it with surfaces that survived nearly a century at the edge of perfection.
For collectors, that is the real draw. The coin links a battlefield, a state’s independence, a mid-century dealer hoard, and the modern race for condition rarity. Few classic commemoratives can carry that much history in such a small silver format.
Auction Information
Coin: 1927 Vermont Sesquicentennial Half Dollar
Grade: MS-67+ PCGS
Approvals: CAC, CMQ
Auction: Stack’s Bowers Galleries June 2026 Showcase Auction
Session: Session 2 – Rarities Night Featuring the Young-Dakota Collection
Lots: 2291
Live Bidding: June 16, 2026
