1652 Pine Tree Shilling. Large Planchet. Noe-4, Salmon 4-D, W-720. Rarity-4. Without Pellets at Trunk, Reversed Ns. AU-58 (NGC). CAC.69.3 grains. Rich deep gray and sandy-silver patina blankets both sides of this wonderfully original piece. The obverse exhibits a full tree, roots and legend with just a touch of softness at the right border affecting the letters ET. The reverse is similarly well struck with a bold date, denomination and legend, just the top of a few letters at the left border off the flan. Straight planchet clip at 9 oclock relative to the obverse, which was done at the mint to bring this coins weight down to the statutory level. There is a pronounced S-bend in the planchet, as expected since these were made on a rocker press. Typical die state with cud breaks in the field to the left of the denomination and the letter M in DOM, couple of smaller cracks to the left of the date. The surfaces are overall smooth in hand, provenance concerns compelling us to mention a few wispy handling marks on the obverse to the right of the tree and between the letters TS, similarly minor mark on the reverse between the Roman numeral X and the aforementioned cud break.<p>The Noe-4 and Noe-5 are the two Reversed Ns varieties of the Large Planchet Pine Tree shilling, with one N on each side retrograde. Both are moderately scarce in an absolute sense, although the typical example grades VF or lower. Only six or so Mint State coins are believed extant for the Noe-4 attribution, and this beautiful Choice AU is right behind them in the Condition Census. An impressive provenance further enhances this coins already awesome appeal.PCGS# 45372. NGC ID: 2ARX.Ex our (Stacks) sale of the Reed Hawn Collection of Massachusetts Silver and Americana, May 1998, lot 26; Donald Groves Partrick; Heritages sale of the Donald Groves Partrick Collection, January 2015, lot 5572.
