1787 NJ 1/2P Deer Head Half Penny

Coin Details

Description

Named for the unusual rendering of the horse's head that early collectors thought resembled a deer more than a horse, this 1787 New Jersey copper half penny exemplifies how distinctive die-cutting styles created the colorful named varieties that define the series. The die sinker responsible for this obverse produced a horse with a more delicate, narrow-muzzled facial profile and proportionally larger eyes than the standard equine portraits, leading 19th-century collectors to assign the "Deer Head" designation that has persisted in numismatic literature ever since. Struck in copper at 6.7 grams with a 29 mm diameter and plain edge, the coin displays the standard NOVA CAESAREA obverse legend with the date alongside the distinctively engraved animal head above a plow, paired with the usual reverse shield bearing E PLURIBUS UNUM. Cataloged as Maris 60-h and Whitman 4905, with PCGS #147876, the Deer Head is classified as scarce and ranks among the most popular animal-themed variety names in the series, alongside the Serpent Head and Fox varieties. The named varieties in the New Jersey series — each reflecting a different die sinker's individual interpretation of the horse-head design — have made these coins particularly engaging for collectors who enjoy the human element of hand-engraved coinage, where no two obverse dies are identical and each artist's rendering reveals something about their training, skill level, and artistic sensibility. Edward Maris cataloged these distinctive dies in his 1881 reference work, establishing the formal die-combination numbering system that underpins all subsequent scholarship on New Jersey coppers.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. Another popular animal-themed variety name.

Cross References

Maris 60-h; Whitman 4905