1652 Oak Tree Shilling. Noe-14, Salmon 11a-Gi, W-530. Rarity-4. IN at Bottom, Spiny Tree--Cut to Threepence Weight--Very Fine. 14.6 grains. A highly desirable cut Oak Tree threepence with a bit of light russet tinting to the obverse, the reverse even silver-gray. It was very neatly made with two straight cuts at approximately a 90 degree angle. What remains is a wedge from the southwest portion of the shilling, spanning from just before 6 to nearly 8 oclock on the obverse. The base of the tree, much of the trunk and traces of a few surrounding letters are discernible with the aid of a loupe, while the reverse retains a nearly full DOM and bold final digit I in the Roman numeral XII. Several wispy pin scratches and a trace of light carbon are noted for the obverse, hardly a detriment to the in hand appearance. We have offered only a few of these cut shillings in recent years, which is understandable given their scarcity and popularity with specialists. Similar to another Noe-14 cut to threepence weight that we sold in our November 2019 Baltimore Auction, lot 5011, this piece was detected in a colonial farm field in Hanover County, central Virginia, where a very large plantation one stood. Such an interesting find provides important insight regarding the widespread circulation of these New England pieces.
