1787 NY 1/2P Excelsior - Eagle Right Half Penny

Coin Details

Description

Featuring the heraldic eagle facing right alongside the EXCELSIOR state motto, this 1787 New York copper half penny represents the standard eagle orientation for the Excelsior series — the right-facing position being the conventional direction for heraldic eagles in both European and American design traditions. The Excelsior coppers constitute New York's contribution to the state coinage phenomenon of the Confederation period, though the series is considerably smaller and scarcer than the extensive copper coinages produced by Connecticut, New Jersey, Vermont, and Massachusetts. Struck in copper at approximately 8 grams with a 28 mm diameter and plain edge, the coin displays the rightward-facing eagle with the New York state arms on the opposite side. Cataloged as Whitman 5760 and PCGS #424, the Eagle Right variety is classified as scarce — more available than the Eagle Left variant but still uncommon in the broader landscape of state copper coinage. New York's coinage history during the Confederation period is complicated by the state's role as a center for multiple related activities: authorized state coppers (the Excelsior series), proposed private coinage issues (such as the Brasher Doubloon), and the production of imitation British halfpennies at facilities like Machin's Mills. The Excelsior coppers' use of the eagle motif and state motto created a distinctive visual identity that separated New York's coinage from the portrait-based designs favored by Connecticut and Vermont, aligning instead with the heraldic symbolism that would later characterize federal coinage.

Rarity Notes

Scarce.

Cross References

Whitman 5760