A nuclear magnetic resonance radio frequency coil. The disclosed coil provides high frequency resonance signals for perturbing a magnetic field within the coil. The coil is impedance matched and tuned with adjustable capacitors. A balanced configuration is achieved with a co-axial cable chosen to phase shift an energization signal coupled to the coil. The preferred coil is a thin metallic foil having a shorting conductor, four wing conductors, and uniquely shaped parallel cross conductors connecting the shorting and wing conductors. When mounted to an rf transmissive plastic substrate and energized the coil produces a homogenous field within a region of interest the size of a patient head. A semicircular balanced feedbar arrangement is used to minimize undesired field contributions.