Could I see some examples of 1652 pine tree shillings in various grades?

DominusDeus

I've been fascinated by this particular coin ever since I first saw it in my dad's old 1966 Red Book years ago. Not a VERY expensive coin, given it was made in the US, and is over 350 years old. But, I want to see some examples of them in various grades, and how much an example would cost to get IN that grade. At about $500 in good, I may try to make a 1652 pine tree shilling (large planchet) my first "big" purchase, given I can find an example in the condition and price range (slabbed, no doubt, by either PCGS, ANACS, or NGC). Pretty sure some of you fine folks own (an) example(s) of the pine tree (or even an oak tree) shilling.

Pistareen

I wrote my last column for Numismatist largely upon the joys of owning a Pine Tree shilling in any grade. It was one of my first big purchases too.

The Pine Trees, though dated 1652, were struck between 1667 and 1682. There are a number of distinctive varieties and two major types: large planchet and small planchet. They come in every grade imaginable.

There are a lot of these certified by the various services now, but most die-hard colonial enthusiasts still tend to collect raw coins, so lots of nice ones in every grade remain raw. I would not eliminate an uncertified coin from contention for your collection just because it is raw. The counterfeits are pretty easy to detect and any trustworthy dealer will be able to tell the difference.

Here is an example of a nice Large Planchet in the ANR sale : http://www.anrcoins.com/lotdetail.aspx?lrid=AN00016797

It will be tough to find a $500 Pine Tree shilling these days. Pieces under $1000 tend to be the most popular just because the most people can afford them, so you may want to try to save up a bit more than $500 to procure a decent one for yourself. Many of the colonial specialist dealers are also very good about offering terms, so you may be able to afford a bit more coin that way.

Good luck! Owning a Pine Tree Shilling is a real joy.

DominusDeus

MINT STATE! Yikes!! How a 350+ year old coin survives like that is beyond me..

I'd be more than happy to have a raw one, but I wanted slabbed for the protection of it, as well as confirmed authenticity.

As for saving more money, yikes. $6/hr is all I make, and I don’t even get 40-hr weeks. I find a $400 paycheck quite good when I should make at least $480. $200 a month goes towards “bills”, about $120 for gas (yeesh), around $50 for food and drink to take to work with me, and I like to get a few coins every two weeks or so (usually about $10 each, though as of late I’ve made a few bigger purchases, like a MS66 mercury dime, a MS63/64 morgan dollar, and two large-sized notes). $833 is about what I average a month after taxes. I suppose about 4 or 5 months of hard-core saving I would have enough, but that long without new coins… *cries*

northcoin

I actually picked one up in a major auction a year or so ago. It was the first coin listed in the auction catalogue. You might try that route as it is a way to get one that is not slabbed with at least some assurance as to authenticity. I see there is an impaired VF example in an NCS holder being offered by L&C Coins for $2500 in their current Coin World ad.