1787 NY 1/2P George Clinton - Excelsior Half Penny

Coin Details

Auction Record

$34,500 • VF30 • 01-2015 • Heritage Auctions

Description

Cataloged as Whitman 5790 and PCGS #433, the 1787 New York Excelsior halfpenny featuring Governor George Clinton's portrait is a rare and historically significant piece of post-Revolutionary state coinage. The obverse depicts Clinton, who served as the first Governor of New York from 1777 to 1795 and later as Vice President of the United States, making this one of the few colonial-era coins to bear the portrait of a sitting state governor. Struck in copper, weighing 8 grams with a 28 mm diameter and plain edge, this piece belongs to the Excelsior series of New York coppers that carried the state motto EXCELSIOR ("Ever Upward") and featured various obverse designs including a heraldic eagle and an Indian figure. The Clinton portrait type is among the rarest configurations in the New York copper series and commands significant premiums at auction, with a recorded sale of $34,500 in VF30 grade at Heritage Auctions in January 2015 demonstrating the strong market demand for this variety. New York never officially authorized copper coinage in the manner of Connecticut or Vermont, making the status of these pieces — whether patterns, proposals, or unauthorized private issues — a matter of ongoing scholarly debate. The Excelsior coppers remain among the most sought-after New York colonial issues, and the Clinton portrait type occupies the pinnacle of desirability within this already elite series.

Rarity Notes

Rare. Features Governor Clinton portrait.

Cross References

Whitman 5790