So what's all this stuff about
Nova Caesaria??
One of the English Channel Islands is called Jersey and since Sir George Carteret defended the Isle of Jersey for the royal family during the English Civil War, the grant to Carteret was called "New Jersey."
But why Nova Caesaria? The island's name Jersey derives from its earlier name during Roman occupation. At that time it was one of many places named in honor of Caesar: there were many Caesarias around the Roman world. The way we pronounce Caesaria in English today (suh-SAIR-ee-uh) doesn't sound a great deal like the way we pronounce Jersey today to the non-linguist. But if you think of how the man's name Cesare is pronounced in Italian (CHEZZ-uh-ray) and extend that to Caesaria (chezz-uh-REE-uh) you can better see how the word Caesaria morphed into Jersey (the flip of the z/r to r/z is a common sort of language evolution).
In the late 1780s New Jersey minted its own coinage. These New Jersey Coppers used a Latin form in their legend.
This site maintained by Bob Barnett.
Last updated: 2003 Twelfth Month, 29th.