New Jersey Copper Coins

About This Coin

On June 1, 1786, the New Jersey legislature authorized Walter Mould, Thomas Goadsby, and Albion Cox to strike three million copper coins over a two-year period. The obverse design features a horse's head above a plow with the legend NOVA CAESAREA (New Jersey's Latin name), and the reverse shows a shield with E PLURIBUS UNUM. Over 140 die varieties have been cataloged by Edward Maris, making this one of the most extensively studied colonial copper series. Notable varieties include animal-themed named types (Camel Head, Deer Head, Serpent Head), running fox varieties, and numerous legend errors. Production ceased in 1788 with the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.