1650 Massachusetts Pine Tree Shilling. 19th Century Fabrication. Noe Fabrication B. Extremely Fine.54.0 grains. Iridescent lavender-gray toning covers surfaces that have an overall textured appearance. Struck on a flan that was thin before striking, or perhaps that was hammered yet thinner at the lower right obverse after striking in an effort to simulate the uneven wear sometimes seen on Massachusetts Bay Colony silver. This type was understood by Crosby to have been a 19th century fabrication and has been regarded as such ever since. Its prototype is probably the majestic tree of the Noe-1 Pine Tree Large Planchet type, but in a module that better approximates the Small Planchet series! The 1650 date was probably an attempt at creating an instant rarity in the always avidly collected Massachusetts silver series. While this one is quite underweight, the T. James Clarke specimen referenced in Noe is overweight at 76.9 grains. A neat numismatic adjunct to a collection of Massachusetts silver coinage.Ex Bob Vlack Collection; our (Stacks) sale of the Hain Family Collection of Massachusetts Silver Coins, January 2002, lot 184; our (Stacks) Americana Sale of January 2009, lot 7489; Michael K. Ringo estate. Clipped lot tag form January 2009 sale included.
