1652 Pine Tree Shilling. Large Planchet. Noe-6, Salmon 5-Di, W-720. Rarity-6-. Without Pellets at Trunk, Reversed Ns. MS-63 (NGC). CAC.73.9 grains. <strong>The 1991 ANS Exhibition Coin (No. 94).</strong> This is an exceptional Large Planchet Pine Tree shilling regardless of Noe number. Both sides are nice, light silver-gray with a few flickers of steel-olive. The coin is slightly heavy and the edges have been carefully trimmed around (as made) in a series of short clips. All letters are on the flan, some running to or over the border, but the legends are fully legible. The obverse looks soft at bottom and left, the former due to die state (see below), the latter due to how the coin was made (an S bend runs across from 9 to 3 oclock and both the A on left and T on right are similarly weak). Central reverse quite rough, due entirely to the advanced state of this workhorse die. Lovely and highly desirable.<p>Noe-6 has been missing in any form in such major offerings as the 1970 MHS sale, Norweb, Reed Hawn, and others. The best may be the example discovered in England and sold in RARCOAs session of Auction 81, although this one, ex Hain and Partrick, deserves to be in any discussion of finest known for this Noe number. The fact that Fred Boyd amassed three specimens of Noe-6 likely kept others of his generation and the one that followed from getting one.<p>This varietys states have proven difficult to sort out. In Hain, Noe 6.1 was thought to come before Noe-6. (This coin was cataloged as 6.1 in that offering.) Upon further review, it appears that the standard Noe-6 comes first (Ford:90, et al.), showing some light clash marks at the base of the obverse. The dies fall apart more and reach the state seen on Ford:91. Another clash or other damage followed by serious lapping at IN MA creates the die state seen on Kendall:2381 and the present example, previously called Noe-6.1. The last state before the complete re-engraving of the base of the reverse to create Noe-7 is seen on the Ford:92-Syd Martin coin, which we call "Noe-6.5", and half in jest.<p>.PCGS# 914816. NGC ID: 2ARX.From the Muddy River Collection. Earlier from our (Stacks) sale of the Corrado Romano Collection, June 1987, lot 4; our (Stacks) sale of the Hain Family Collection, January 2002, lot 110; Heritages sale of the Donald Groves Partrick Collection, January 205 FUN Signature Auction, lot 5576; Heritages CSNS Signature Auction of April-May 2016, lot 4508.
