拍品描述： 1652 Pine Tree Threepence. Noe-34, Salmon 1-A, W-630. Rarity-4. Pellets at Trunk--Counterstamped ELH--Fine-12, damage.15.6 grains. This is an intriguing piece for both Colonial and Counterstamp specialists that goes unlisted in the Brunk reference on counterstamps. The surfaces show considerable distortion from a crude attempt to flatten the planchet, and the metal is rough in most areas. The trunk and roots of the tree remain clear on the obverse, while the reverse retains half of the date and much of the denomination. Most remarkably, it has been counterstamped at least five times on the obverse with the letters ELH from a very tiny punch. Three of these impressions are particularly prominent, surrounding the area that would have shown the tree. A significant piece despite its shortcomings, toned in varying slate-grey shades. <p><p><p>We first handled this piece nearly 30 years ago as part of our (Bowers and Merenas) September 1990 auction, and it would later be featured in our legendary November 1991 Frontenac sale. The ELH mark has been recognized by numismatists at least as early as January 1898 where it was described on a Spanish 1790 proclamation silver medal in Lyman Lows sale of the Benjamin Betts Collection. Since then it has been seen on at least 5 other coins, including a Noe-34 Oak Tree twopence from the Ford Collection which is also offered in this sale. The ELH mark, and this coin in particular, certainly deserves further study and we expect considerable interest from Early American scholars.<p><p><p><p><p>From the Robert M. Martin Collection. Ex our (Bowers and Merenas) sale of the Robert Rusbar Collection, September 1990, lot 1701; our (Bowers and Merenas) Frontenac Sale of November 1991, lot 250.