Pine Tree Coinage, ca. 1667-1682

Small Planchet Shillings

obverse 500 dpi 250 dpi

reverse 500 dpi 250 dpi

1652        Noe 22                        MA Pine Tree Shilling - small planchet

Obverse:  MASATH[VS]ETS [rosette of six dots] I[N] [rosette of seven dots]
Reverse:  NEW[ENG]LAND . A[N . D]O .    1652   /   XII

Weight:  66.2 g   (4.28 grams)                  Diameter:  24.8 mm

Comments:  This is a worn and mottled specimen with some dark areas and verdigris. On the obverse legend one dot in the visible rosette is hidden in a dark area (the dot closest to the outer row of beads) and not readily visible on the scanned image. The coin must be tilted at an angle to see it clearly. This is the first use of this obverse die (also used on Noe 23 and 25). The tree has five pair of branches and the ground line has seven diagonal hatch marks, or roots, slanting to the left. Many of the beads are rather elongated and the lettering is rather square. The M has been recut for part of the lower letter can be seen to the right of the final stroke, giving a doubling effect to the end of the letter. Picker states the ATHV and E were also recut, although on this specimen only a slight doubling to the right of the A and left of the T can be detected. Apparently the die was scratched in recutting the T leaving a small extension on the top right serif. There is also a die crack starting as a dot near the bottom of the T and moving upward through the top of the H and toward the V.

The reverse shows the final use of that die, it had been used on Noe 16-21. Noe mentions that the W is larger than usual on this die and the N's are poorly made. In this late state there is a major die break extending from the outer ring of beads above the N in NEW and continuing through the top of the E then thinning and moving on to the first stroke of the W. Other major die break appears on this variety at N and between the G and L, but on this specimen the ENG are weakly struck as are the N and D in AN . DO below. The mottled appearance makes it difficult to distinguish other die breaks.

Provenance:  From the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Collection.

obverse 500 dpi 250 dpi

reverse 500 dpi 250 dpi

1652        Noe 26.2                        MA Pine Tree Shilling - small planchet

Obverse:  MASATHVSETS [triangle of three dots] IN [rosette of seven dots]
Reverse:  NEVVENGLAND . AN . DO .    1652   /   XII

Weight:  68.4 g   (4.43 grams)                  Diameter:  23.7 mm

Comments:  This is a well preserved example, struck off center. In the inner bead ring there is open space under the T, while three beads are crowded together just past the S. The tree in this die has five pair of branches, note that the left branches has five leaves on the lowest or fifth branch, four leaves of the fourth branch, three on the third, two on the second and one on the top branch. On the right side the bottom three branches each have four leaves, while the top two branches are symmetrical. The seven hatch marks, or roots, below the ground line are in diverse directions, from left to right the are as follows: three diagonally to the left, one diagonally to the right, one vertical, one diagonally to the right and a final hatch diagonal to the left. Noe mentions the trunk of the tree is thicker from the bottom to just above the third set of branches and thinner at the top two sets of branches. There is also a die break as a dot near the bottom right side of the tree. This example is a later state of Noe 26 labelled by Picker as Noe 26.2. This later state is evidenced by various letters in the legend. As this specimen is off center some of the diagnostics are off the planchet but others are quite evident. The top serif of the final upright of the H is missing, the top of the second S is very weak, the top half of the E is missing, the crossbar of the following T is very thin. Also although not mentioned by Picker the top curve of the final S is very weak on this example and all those I have see illustrated in books. Similarly the N in IN is often made from two numeral 1 punches but is usually more skillfully modelled than in this case where there is only a thin line engraved into the die as the diagonal; note the diagonal does not meet the top of the first upright. [Notice the serifs at both ends of each stroke which identifies them as the number 1, (as in the date on the reverse) they are slightly smaller than the letter I].

The is the second and final use of the reverse die, which was also used in Noe 25. On this die the 1 and 2 in the date are thicker than the 6 and 5, with the 2 being unusually large. In the legend the W is composed of VV. The first N in ENGLAND in quite poor having been unevenly formed with a thin diagonal scratch as the center stroke. Also note below the 6 is a large dot just about in the center of the coin. This depression in the die was apparently made by a compass used to describe circles that aided as guidelines for the ring of beads (see the example under Oak Tree Shilling Noe 1). A die crack appears from the top of the final serif of the N in AN, moving through the stop and to the D in DO. Another crack moves from inside the bow of the D, touching the top of the O and continuing up to the outer ring of beads. Picker distinguishes the 26.2 reverse in that the letter G is weaker than the other letters. In this example the following letters can be identified as weakly struck: in ENGLAND, the bottom stroke of the E and the left half of the G, while in the abbreviation DO the bow of the D and the top of the O are weak. Picker lists a later state of this reverse called Noe 26.4 where the G is "all but obliterated."

Provenance:  From the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Collection.

Large Planchet Pine Tree Shillings	Section Contents	Higley Coppers