1787 NY 1/2P Excelsior - Indian/Arms Half Penny

Coin Details

Description

A very rare muling within the New York Excelsior copper series, this 1787 half penny combines an obverse die depicting a standing Indian figure with a reverse die bearing the New York state arms — a die pairing not found in the standard eagle-type Excelsior issues. The Indian obverse likely originated from a different coinage program or die series, and its pairing with the Excelsior reverse die creates a hybrid piece that documents the fluid die inventory practices of Confederation-era minting operations, where dies from different programs were sometimes paired together either deliberately as experiments or accidentally during press setup. Struck in copper at approximately 8 grams with a 28 mm diameter and plain edge, the coin carries the EXCELSIOR legend alongside the New York state arms. Cataloged as Whitman 5765 and PCGS #436, the Indian/Arms muling is classified as very rare, with significantly fewer surviving specimens than either the Eagle Left or Eagle Right standard types. The Indian figure on the obverse echoes imagery found on other colonial and early American issues, including certain Massachusetts coppers and later federal coinage, reflecting the 18th-century convention of using Native American figures as symbols of the American continent and its indigenous identity. For New York copper specialists, the Indian/Arms muling represents one of the most desirable pieces in the series, combining extreme rarity with a visually unusual and historically significant die combination that illuminates the practical operations of early American minting.

Rarity Notes

Very rare muling.

Cross References

Whitman 5765