1652 Pine Tree Shilling. Large Planchet. Noe-9, Salmon 7a-Diii, W-750. Rarity-6-. Without Pellets at Trunk, Reversed Ns. EF Details--Environmental Damage (PCGS).68.8 grains. Plenty of bold to sharp detail remains from a strike that is well centered despite the fact that the borders engage the tops of the letters along the right obverse periphery, also at upper right reverse. Dark charcoal and russet on the reverse with the texture rough and somewhat pitted to explain the PCGS qualifier, the obverse is generally lighter pewter gray and shows greater effects of the cleaning intended to diminish the primary impairment. A thin scrape at right central obverse is the only individually mentionable mark. This elusive and challenging variety was missing from Stearns, Garrett, Picker (1984), and other notable collections. Finest known is the Kendall specimen that realized $30,550 as lot 2388 in our March 2015 Baltimore Auction; it was certified MS-62 by PCGS. There have been a few additions to the census in recent years, so that the comment in Hain and Ford XII that the real rarity of Noe 9 may still be underestimated even at R-6 is no longer valid. Even so, the chance to acquire any Noe-9 Pine Tree deserves serious consideration, and this one is particularly desirable for its overall sharpness of detail.PCGS# 915757. BASE PCGS# 45372. NGC ID: 2ARX.From the Richard August Collection. Earlier ex Norton.
