 1652 Massachusetts Bay Colony. Oak Tree Sixpence. The Hydra Tree. N.17, Cr.4-C, W.26. R-6+. 36.2 gns. Choice About Uncirculated. An outstanding specimen. The Noe Plate Coin. The Wurtzbach Plate Coin. One of the finest seen: exceeded by the Unc in the Stearns sale but nicer than Hain's, Norweb's exceptional coin, the NN 60th piece, and the MHS (1970) example. The obverse and reverse of this piece are both a nice rich coin silver gray in the fields, a little lighter on the high points of the letters and central devices. Full, sharp and bold tree with internal trunk detail showing and even some leaves in the branches. Letters in the obverse legend all sharp and bold save for V, due to die damage.
Very sharp on the reverse, central detail bold, most letters in the peripheral legend fully legible save for those at the left where the die was damaged through clashing. Very nicely centered on both sides, the obverse off a little bit to the left but affecting only the tops of some letters there. Reverse about perfectly centered, the letters at the top just a little tight on the flan. No accidental defects requiring specific mention, the irregularities in the planchet are due entirely to the clashed states of the dies. Very rare: there was no Hydra Tree Sixpence in the Garrett, Picker, Roper, NN 48th or 59th sales or the Oechsner collection.
Described by Wurtzbach on his collector's ticket as ''Unc. Gem-a very great rarity-differs from my other one particularly in branches of tree. Rarity shown by not being in Bushnell, Parmelee-Mills-Stickney-Earle-Crosby-Bement-Jackman-Parsons-Gschwend-Jenks-H.P. Smith. DeWitt S. Smith-Brand Wurtzbach Collections. Should be R6.''
Ex DeWitt Smith, Virgil Brand, Carl Wurtzbach, T. James Clarke, F.C.C. Boyd Collections.
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