1788 NJ 1/2P Head Right Half Penny

Coin Details

Description

Representing the standard horse-head orientation for New Jersey coppers, this 1788 half penny features the horse's head facing right above a plow on the obverse — the most common configuration across the series. Produced under private contract authorized by the New Jersey legislature, these coppers were struck at facilities in Rahway and Morristown by contractors including Walter Mould, Thomas Goadsby, and Albion Cox during the final year of state copper production. The coin is struck in copper at 6.7 grams with a 29 mm diameter and plain edge, bearing NOVA CAESAREA (Latin for "New Jersey") and the date on the obverse, with the state shield and E PLURIBUS UNUM on the reverse. Cataloged as Maris 64-q in Edward Maris's definitive 1881 reference and Whitman 4920, with PCGS #521. Described as common for 1788 New Jersey coppers, this die marriage is among the more readily available issues from the series' final year of production. The right-facing head orientation remained the standard throughout most New Jersey copper production, with the left-facing variant being the exception rather than the rule. The Maris reference system, published in A Historic Sketch of the Coins of New Jersey, remains the primary attribution tool for this series over 140 years after its publication, a testament to the thoroughness of Maris's original die study. The 1788 date carries historical weight as the year New Jersey ratified the United States Constitution, effectively ending the legal basis for state coinage under the new federal system.

Rarity Notes

Common for 1788 New Jersey coppers.

Cross References

Maris 64-q; Whitman 4920