1786 NJ 1/2P Narrow Shield Half Penny

Coin Details

Description

The more available of the two shield-width variants for the inaugural year of New Jersey copper coinage, this 1786 half penny features the "narrow shield" reverse design where the state arms are rendered in more compact proportions than the corresponding "wide shield" type. Struck in copper at 6.7 grams with a 29 mm diameter and plain edge, the coin bears the standard New Jersey obverse with a horse's head above a plow and the NOVA CAESAREA legend, paired with the narrow-proportioned reverse shield and E PLURIBUS UNUM. Cataloged as Maris 17-b and related die marriages, with Whitman 4760 and PCGS #496, the narrow shield is described as common for the series and represents the most available 1786 variety. The distinction between narrow and wide shield types provides insight into the die preparation process: multiple reverse dies were clearly in use during 1786, prepared by different engravers who each interpreted the shield design according to their own artistic judgment. The narrow shield's relative availability compared to the wide shield suggests either that narrow shield dies were used more extensively or that more narrow shield dies were prepared, giving collectors a comparatively accessible entry point to first-year New Jersey coppers. Walter Mould, Thomas Goadsby, and Albion Cox received the coinage contract from the New Jersey legislature in June 1786, and the narrow shield half pennies struck that year represent some of the earliest products of their minting enterprise, making even "common" 1786 varieties historically significant as artifacts of the series' inception.

Rarity Notes

Common for the series. The most available 1786 narrow shield variety.

Cross References

Maris 17-b and related; Whitman 4760