1788 NJ 1/2P Head Left Half Penny

Coin Details

Description

An unusual variety in the New Jersey copper series, this 1788 half penny features the horse's head facing left rather than the conventional right-facing orientation seen on most issues. The New Jersey copper coinage was produced under private contract authorized by the state legislature, with production spanning 1786 through 1788 at facilities in Rahway and Morristown, New Jersey — independent of the Philadelphia Mint, which did not begin operations until 1792. Struck in copper at 6.7 grams with a 29 mm diameter and plain edge, the coin follows the standard New Jersey design formula: a horse's head above a plow on the obverse with NOVA CAESAREA and the date, paired with a reverse shield bearing E PLURIBUS UNUM. Cataloged as Maris 71-x in the Edward Maris reference and Whitman 4945, with PCGS #527 providing the grading service identifier. The left-facing horse head orientation makes this a scarce and distinctive variety because it represents a deliberate departure from the standard die layout, requiring a separately engraved obverse die with the horse facing the opposite direction. The 1788 date marks the final year of New Jersey copper production, as the new federal Constitution ratified that year would soon establish exclusive federal authority over coinage. Colonial and early American copper specialists regard the head-left varieties as particularly collectible because the reversed orientation immediately distinguishes them from the more common head-right types without requiring close die variety analysis.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. Left-facing horse head is unusual for the series.

Cross References

Maris 71-x; Whitman 4945