1652 New England Threepence, Part of the First Series of American Coins, Surfaces After Centuries

The 1652 New England threepence has been recognized as the single rarest colonial coin by American collectors since before the Civil War.

The single rarest colonial coin among American collectors since before the Civil War is the 1652 New England threepence. Only one specimen was known, locked away in the Massachusetts Historical Society since 1905, making the unique NE threepence utterly non-collectible. A second specimen, once in the Yale Cabinet, was stolen decades ago and never recovered.

None have been in a private collection since the death of William Sumner Appleton in 1903, but collectors will now have the opportunity to acquire a newly discovered specimen in the November 2024 Stack’s Bowers Galleries auction.

Recently authenticated by PCGS and graded EF-45, this new coin is clearly the finest extant example, sharper than the holed Massachusetts Historical Society coin. It was initially discovered in an antique cabinet among a handful of other U.S. colonial coins in the Netherlands in 2016, though not actually identified as a NE threepence until 2020.

“Lots of coins get called important,” said Stacks Bowers Galleries’ Director of Numismatic Americana, John Kraljevich. “It’s hard to imagine anything more important than the discovery of a famous rarity, part of the first series of American coins ever made, that actually allows a collector to own a previously unobtainable type.”

New England shillings, sixpence, and threepence were struck in Boston at the first American mint, founded by the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1652 and operated by silversmiths John Hull and Robert Sanderson.

While Willow Tree, Oak Tree, and Pine Tree coins were struck with 1652 dates until 1682, the original NE coins — displaying only the initials NE for New England on the obverse and the denomination in pence on the reverse — were struck for only a few months of 1652.

“As the very first American coins, NE shillings, sixpence, and threepence see a high level of demand and sell for dramatically high prices to well-heeled, historically minded collectors,” noted Stack’s Bowers Galleries Vice President Vicken Yegparian. “The record for an NE coin is $646,250, but we expect this piece to handily exceed that level.”

The newly discovered coin’s provenance is traced to Boston’s Quincy family, who were prominent participants in Massachusetts politics throughout the colonial era. First Lady Abigail Adams was a Quincy.

In fact, future President John Adams wrote to Abigail from Amsterdam in 1781 to request “a few of the New England shillings. Pray send me, half a dozen if you can procure them by different Occasions,” in response to well known English numismatist Thomas Brand Hollis’ request for an NE shilling.

It’s unknown if this coin came via Adams, but the connection appears likely.

The Yale University specimen, lost before the mid 20th century, was illustrated in a 19th century woodcut as having a planchet split above E of NE that was also visible at the base of the reverse. No rumor of its existence has been heard since before a major 1965 burglary at Yale focused attention on its collection; several curators and researchers at the time confirmed the Yale threepence was long gone by then.

This new 1652 New England threepence will be a featured highlight of the Stack’s Bowers Galleries November 2024 Showcase Auction, held in conjunction with the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Winter Expo in Baltimore.

Ahead of the sale, this treasure will also be on display at the firm’s Boston gallery during the month of September to commemorate the first striking of NE silver coins in Boston in September 1652.

To consign your coins alongside this historic rarity or for questions about the sale, contact Stack’s Bowers Galleries at Consign@StacksBowers.com or 800.566.2580.

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