 1652 Massachusetts Bay Colony. Pine Tree Shilling. Large Planchet. Tall Tree. Backwards N. N.7, Cr.7-B3, W.45. R-6+. 71.4 gns. Gem Uncirculated. The Wurtzbach Plate Coin. A magnificent specimen. As Wurtzbach described the piece on his collector's ticket, this Pine Tree shilling is unexcelled in terms of its quality and desirability. Both the obverse and reverse are beautifully toned. The front is light gray with hints of pale russet around the periphery. The back is pale gray around the periphery with a delicate wash of light blue in the center. The piece has considerable mint lustre and frost showing particularly when angled through the light as the rays catch the bend in the planchet imparted to the piece as it went through the roller press.
On the front the tree is sharp and bold with all of the branches clear, the root structure complete and the ground line on which it stands clear. The letters in the legend around on this side are about as sharp as ever seen, even given the slight elongation in VS at the top from the roller dies. The inner beaded border of dots is complete while the outer beaded border exists only at the top but is sharp nevertheless most everywhere. On the reverse the central denomination and date are clear despite the die break there while the letters in the legend around are sharp, bold and the inner beaded border is complete. There are traces of the outer beaded border visible at the top. The piece has a very nice outline, having been given a multi-faceted profile as it was cut from the strip on which it was struck. Advanced collectors would be hard put to find a nicer specimen than this.
Ex Charles E. Clapp, Carl Wurtzbach, T. James Clarke, F.C.C. Boyd Collections.
| |
|
