1787 NJ 1/2P Goiter Variety Half Penny

Coin Details

Description

Named with medical terminology that colonial copper specialists have applied to describe a goiter-like swelling on the horse's neck, this 1787 New Jersey copper variety demonstrates the remarkably detailed scrutiny that collectors bring to the examination of 18th-century die work. Cataloged as Maris 46-e and Whitman 4870, the unusual neck shape resulted from either die damage sustained during production — such as a clash, crack, or metal displacement event — or an engraving anomaly where the die sinker cut the horse's throat and neck area with an unintended bulge. The "Goiter" designation has become the variety's established common name in the colonial copper literature, providing an immediate visual reference that helps collectors identify the feature. The obverse shows the horse and plow with the state motto "NOVA CAESAREA" and the 1787 date, while the reverse carries the state shield design with "E PLURIBUS UNUM." This scarce variety belongs to the Post-1776 States Coinage (1776-1788) series. The application of anatomical and medical terminology to describe die characteristics is a tradition in colonial copper collecting that extends to other memorably named varieties — the Protruding Tongue, the Muttonhead, the Camel Head — where human observations about animal anatomy provide collectors with a vivid, instantly communicable vocabulary for distinguishing between the dozens of subtly different horse depictions across the series.

Rarity Notes

Scarce variety.

Cross References

Maris 46-e; Whitman 4870