 1652 Massachusetts Bay Colony. Oak Tree Threepence. N.28, Cr.6-C, W.33. R-4. 16.9 gns. Very Fine. The Noe Plate Coin. The Wurtzbach Plate Coin. Both sides are medium coin silver gray in color. On the obverse the tree is a little soft in the upper left but is mostly visible elsewhere, the trunk has suggestive hints of internal detail and the root structure is clear. The peripheral legend around on this side is soft at the bottom left and along almost the entire right side, essentially as made.
On the reverse the central details are a little soft and the peripheral legend, while legible, is a bit mushy. Wurtzbach described this piece on his collector's ticket as ''Crosby could not find a specimen good enough to furnish proper description. Excessively rare.'' A popular variety for the type as it is fairly easy to find, affordable, and generally well struck (although usually found in lower grades). Breen commented years ago about Noe 28 ''Second commonest of Oak Tree threepences...All specimens examined are dogs, due doubtless to weak striking and weakly cut dies.''
Ex Charles E. Clapp, Carl Wurtzbach, T. James Clarke, F.C.C. Boyd Collections.
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