1787 NJ 1/2P Outlined Shield Half Penny

Coin Details

Description

Featuring a reverse die where the state shield is rendered with bold, prominent outlines that give the heraldic device a distinctive raised-border appearance, this 1787 New Jersey copper half penny showcases a die sinker's particular approach to the shield design. The outlined style creates stronger visual definition of the shield's borders and internal divisions, setting this reverse die apart from other renderings where the shield elements blend more subtly into the surrounding field. Struck in copper at 6.7 grams with a 29 mm diameter and plain edge, the obverse displays the standard horse's head above a plow with NOVA CAESAREA, while the reverse features the distinctively outlined shield with E PLURIBUS UNUM. Cataloged as Maris 30-L and Whitman 4810, with PCGS #505646, this variety is classified as moderately scarce. The outlined shield treatment provides an excellent example of how individual die sinkers working on the New Jersey copper contract brought their own stylistic preferences to the standardized design specifications, creating the die-by-die variations that make collecting New Jersey coppers by Maris number such an engaging pursuit. The 1787 date represents the peak production year for New Jersey coppers, with the largest number of known die combinations, reflecting fully operational minting facilities producing copper coinage at maximum capacity before the constitutional reorganization of American government terminated state coinage authority. Each reverse shield variation — outlined, plain, wide, narrow — tells a story about the anonymous craftsmen who created the tools of early American monetary production.

Rarity Notes

Moderately scarce.

Cross References

Maris 30-L; Whitman 4810