1787 NJ 1/2P PLURIBS Half Penny

Coin Details

Description

A distinctive legend error variety in the New Jersey copper series, this 1787 half penny displays PLURIBS instead of the correct Latin PLURIBUS on its reverse shield, where the letter U was omitted during die preparation. New Jersey coppers were authorized by the state legislature in June 1786, granting a coinage contract to Walter Mould, Thomas Goadsby, and Albion Cox, who operated minting facilities in Rahway, Morristown, and possibly other New Jersey locations — not at the Philadelphia Mint, which was not yet established. Struck in copper, the coin weighs 6.7 grams with a 29 mm diameter and plain edge. The obverse depicts a horse's head above a plow with the legend NOVA CAESAREA (Latin for "New Jersey") and the date, while the reverse displays the state shield with E PLURIBS UNUM and the denomination. Cataloged as Maris 39-a in the standard reference by Edward Maris, with Whitman 4845 and PCGS #512 providing additional identification. Legend errors on New Jersey coppers arose from the semi-official nature of production, where die sinkers working under contract sometimes introduced spelling variations — whether through carelessness, illiteracy in Latin, or deliberate economizing of die space. The PLURIBS error is considered moderately scarce within the broader New Jersey copper series, and such blundered legends are actively pursued by colonial specialists who catalog every known die combination in this historically significant state coinage.

Rarity Notes

Moderately scarce legend error.

Cross References

Maris 39-a; Whitman 4845