1786 NJ 1/2P Wide Shield Half Penny

Coin Details

Description

Dating from the first year of New Jersey copper production, this 1786 half penny features the "wide shield" reverse design, distinguished from its "narrow shield" counterpart by the broader proportions of the state arms on the reverse die. The New Jersey legislature authorized copper coinage in June 1786, and the wide shield and narrow shield designs represent different approaches by die sinkers to rendering the New Jersey state shield that dominates the reverse. Struck in copper at 6.7 grams with a 29 mm diameter and plain edge, the obverse presents the standard horse's head above a plow with NOVA CAESAREA. Cataloged as Maris 20-N and Whitman 4770, with PCGS #498, this variety is considered moderately scarce, with the wide shield type less commonly encountered than the narrow shield for the 1786 date. The distinction between wide and narrow shield varieties reflects the use of multiple reverse dies — likely prepared by different engravers — during the inaugural year of production, when contractors Walter Mould, Thomas Goadsby, and Albion Cox were establishing their minting operations and experimenting with die designs. Edward Maris documented these shield width variations in his 1881 reference work, and the wide versus narrow distinction remains a primary collecting category for 1786 New Jersey coppers. First-year issues from 1786 hold particular appeal for collectors because they represent the beginning of one of the most extensive and well-documented state copper series of the Confederation period.

Rarity Notes

Moderately scarce. The wide shield type is less common than narrow shield for 1786.

Cross References

Maris 20-N; Whitman 4770