Massachusetts Oak Tree Shilling - Damaged, Heavily Worn & Clipped (still a nice piece of MA Silver)

Discussion in 'US Coins Forum' started by Eduard, Jul 7, 2017.

  1. Eduard

    Eduard Supporter**

    .....but still a Massachusetts Oak Tree and very interesting to me.

    Picked this one up recently. Has many problems but I think the price was in-line so no regrets. Sold unattributed. However, there are enough design elements left to attribute it as Noe-9 (for example: cross hatching below tree)

    The coin weighs only 42,75 grains, whereas the norm for full planchet shillings was 72 (range 70-72) grains. It was obviously heavily clipped besides being worn and suffering some edge damage.

    Interestingly, CoinFacts mentions this variety is known with both small and (normal) large planchets. The smaller planchet being scarcer than the larger. Weights per CoinFacts for the small planchets are as low as 47 grains.

    I assume this one is simply heavily clipped, and not one of the small planchets Noe-9's, but in case anybody can share more light on small planchet Noe-9's I would be very grateful.
    I have not been able to find out anymore about it besides the mention in CoinFacts.

    As I said, an Oak Tree Shilling with obvious problems, but a welcome addition to my small U.S Colonial collection nevertheless.

    Would love to see you MA silver if anybody has some.


    Massachusetts Oak Tree Shilling-Noe 9- Obv - 1.jpg Massachusetts Oak Tree Shilling-Noe 9- Rev - 1.jpg


    02397q00-630x_.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jul 7, 2017
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  3. Treashunt

    Treashunt The Other Frank

    nice one, I'd have gone for it, even with the problems
     
  4. Johndoe2000$

    Johndoe2000$ Well-Known Member

    Nice coin, even with the damage. Nice write up also.
     
  5. l.cutler

    l.cutler Member

    I do have one Oak tree shilling and one pine tree shilling. I couldn't afford problem free coins but I don't mind. Love yours, if I can get one of my sons to help sometime maybe I could post a photo.
     
    Randy Abercrombie likes this.
  6. heavycam.monstervam

    heavycam.monstervam Outlaw Trucker & Coin Hillbilly

    Why the clip ?
    Someone stealing silver??
    Someone testing it?
    Or is it all just conjecture ?

    Also, how much did this example cost?
    If you dont mind sharing?
    Ive always wanted a colonial piece of silver,
    but assumed they were out of my budget
     
  7. Mat

    Mat Ancient Coincoholic

    Cool addition, Edward!
     
  8. green18

    green18 Unknown member Sweet on Commemorative Coins

    Lovery and unique (so to speak)........:)
     
  9. Eduard

    Eduard Supporter**

    Thank you all for your comments.
    There is something about Massachusetts silver coinage that I love, the oldest dated silver coinage struck in Colonial America.

    I had been wanting an example of the Oak Tree coinage to go along my Pine Trees for quite a while, but was not ready to spend $000's on it.
    This one was priced in-line with the wear/damage, and it is a rare variety so was happy to find it. It fits the bill perfectly.

    I.cutler, I hope you are able to post your Pine and Oak tree shillings. Would love to see them:)

    These are my examples of the small and large
    planchet Pine Tree shillings.

    Small Planchet:

    638080.jpg

    Large Planchet:
    Massachusetts Pine Tree Shilling-Obv - 1.jpg Massachusetts Pine Tree Shilling-Rev - 1.jpg

    sorry for the huge picture!


     
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  10. ksparrow

    ksparrow Coin Hoarder Supporter

    Nice find, Eduard. and your Pine Trees are very good looking.
     
    Eduard likes this.
  11. Eduard

    Eduard Supporter**

    Thank you very much, sparrow.
     
  12. steviegetz

    steviegetz Member

    802AE25A-A012-4945-B759-23D22D0F83FA.jpeg 01F3E852-C005-4DC7-876E-8EF8F273E5B1.jpeg Sorry im 2 years late! Ive been wanting an oak for so long but heres a pine i picked up this year
     
  13. Nathan401

    Nathan401 Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

    Bravo, Sir! That’s a sweet piece of New England history!! Made the old pocketbook nice and light for ya, eh?!
     
  14. steviegetz

    steviegetz Member

    Not too much haha.
     
    Nathan401 likes this.
  15. Eduard

    Eduard Supporter**

    That is a really nice example of the Pine Tree shilling. These are difficult to find that nice! Do you know which variety it is?
     
  16. ExoMan

    ExoMan Well-Known Member

    Regardless of the condition of these "tree shillings," I love the history that can be attached. Indeed, damaged pieces are telling of striking and circulation woes, the clipping of silver, etc. That beautiful, high grade specimen displays a full legend. It reads AD DOM or "year of our Lord" which asserts that Christians were establishing their presence in the then New World; this, almost three hundred years prior to the use of "In God We Trust" on our coins.
     
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  17. Aunduril

    Aunduril Well-Known Member

    Nice, I would go for that, it is on the list of "wants"
     
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  18. steviegetz

    steviegetz Member

    Its an early die state noe 1. One of the best executed varieties of pinetrees. Books say its an r2 rarity but specialist believe its an r3 with less than 500 in existence. Its Really hard to find in an affordable problem free grade tho.
     
  19. vikinggold

    vikinggold New Member

    Hi, was very interested when I came across this and love the Oak and Pine tree shillings. I have never seen that type before, but as I live in Scotland that's not much of a surprise. I have a few Colonial coppers in my collections.
    However after looking at the coin photos I noticed that on the Large Planchet Pine Tree type that the letter's N are back to front, but not on the others. Is this a common phenomenon or a mint error?
    Regards,
    vikinggold

    Just looking at this coin again I noticed that this one spells Masatvsets and not Masathvsets as the others do. Is that another variation?
     
    Last edited: Jun 22, 2019
  20. ilmcoins

    ilmcoins Well-Known Member

    Does the clip at 6 oclock not impact the grade on these?
     
  21. Oldhoopster

    Oldhoopster Member of the ANA since 1982

    The reference book is Silver Coinage of Massachusetts by Sydney P Noe. Some of the other posts reference a Nod attribution number. I don't have the book so I can't answer your specific questions but it should be the book. Whitman recently published an encyclopedia of us colonial coins, which might also have some info. I'm don't have my copy handy.
     
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