Catalog
1/2 Penny Mark Newby
| Issuer | New Jersey |
|---|---|
| Year | 1681-1682 |
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| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | FLORET REX (Translation: May the King flourish) |
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| Reverse lettering | ECCE GREX |
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| Additional information |
Mark Newby was an Irish Quaker who emigrated to West Jersey in 1681, bringing with him a quantity of copper halfpence that had circulated in Ireland as St. Patrick's Money. In May 1682, the New Jersey General Assembly passed an act making these coins legal tender — the first coinage formally authorized by a legislative body in American colonial history. Newby himself died just weeks after the act passed.
The coins had actually been struck in Dublin in the 1670s, predating Newby's emigration. The larger denomination carries a small brass plug, inserted during striking; its purpose remains disputed, but one theory holds that it was a mint mark distinguishing issues intended for Ireland's poorer regions.