1652 MASSACHUSETTS
"PINE TREE" THREEPENCE -
NOE 35

Variety equivalents: Crosby 1-A2

Rarity: Very Rare

Notes:
Using a 72 grain standard for the Pine Tree Shillings, the full weight of an Pine Tree Threepence is expected to be 18 grains.

Images courtesy of Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc.

Significant examples:
PCGS AU-50 (illustrated above).  Ex - Wesley Van Olden - Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc. "Long Beach Sale", September 18-20, 2003, Lot 5008, illustrated, "...Noe-35, Crosby 1-A2, R.6. 17.2 grains. The scarcest of the Pine Tree threepence, this variety has several interesting recuttings and mispunchings, including the D in NEWENGLAND reversed, the A in ENGLAND shows evidence of a previously punched A, and the 5 in the date is poorly formed. This variety was absent from the Picker and Stearns collections, as well as MHS, and the Noe plate coin is badly scratched. Struck from misaligned dies, the obverse is off center while the reverse is very nicely centered. Deeply toned, the details are well defined throughout."

Recent appearances:
"VF-20" (illustrated below).  Ex - Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles, Inc.'s "Pre-Long Beach Sale", September 23 & 24, 2002, Lot 8, illustrated, where it was described as follows: "1652 Pine Tree Threepence, Noe-35, R-6 to R-6+. VF-20. This is the rarest of the Pine Tree threepences. Light silvery gray in color with traces of darker hues near the lettering and devices. Unevenly struck, as expected from the rocker dies. The reverse centering is a off towards 5 o'clock, but the erroneous backwards D is quite plain near the edge. There is a series of short cuts in the lower reverse and these seem to be the only post minting problem on this very rare and desirable specimen...This variety was missing from the Stearns and Picker sales."

Sources and/or recommended reading:
"The Silver Coinage of Massachusetts" by Sydney P. Noe