Nova Constellatio Patterns
Base
About This Coin
The Nova Constellatio patterns of 1783 were the first coins prepared for the United States. They carry the decimal system Gouverneur Morris worked out for Robert Morris, Superintendent of Finance, in which the unit was a quarter grain of silver: the mark of 1,000 units, the quint of 500, the bit of 100 and a copper piece of 5 units. Benjamin Dudley prepared the dies in Philadelphia, and Robert Morris laid the patterns before Congress in April 1783, but the plan was never adopted. The pieces were later held by Charles Thomson and Thomas Jefferson, and each type is known by one to three examples.
Specifications
Strike Types & Varieties(6)
1783 Nova Constellatio 5 Units - Copper
1783 Nova Constellatio 100 Units (Bit) - Decorated Edge
1783 Nova Constellatio 100 Units (Bit) - Plain Edge
1783 Nova Constellatio 500 Units - Type 1
1783 Nova Constellatio 500 Units - Type 2
1783 Nova Constellatio 1000 Units (Mark)
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