 1652 Massachusetts Bay Colony. Pine Tree Shilling. Large Planchet. The Small Tree. N.1, Cr.12-I. R-2. 71.0 gns. Choice Extremely Fine. A nice example of the first of the large planchet shillings. The obverse is medium gray with iridescent gold, pale blue and rose while the reverse is about the same shade gold but with considerably more iridescent blue and rose showing mainly in the center. On the obverse the tree is sharp, the root structure is clear and both pellets flanking the tree can be seen. The peripheral legend on this side is tight at the bottom as usual on a Noe-1 Pine Tree shilling but all the letters in the legend can be read. The reverse as expected is about perfectly centered and quite sharp. The piece was clearly collected by Boyd to illustrate the later state of the reverse die, with the horizontal break running from the left side of the first numeral in the date out to the rim on the right engaging N at that position.
Ex Harlan Page Smith Collection (S.H. & H. Chapman, May 8, 1906, lot 15); F.C.C. Boyd Collection.
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