(1652) New England Threepence

Coin Details

Description

With only two examples known to survive, the New England Threepence stands as the rarest denomination among the first silver coins struck in the English colonies of North America. Bearing the simple punch-stamped marks "NE" (for New England) on the obverse and "III" (three pence) on the reverse, these diminutive coins were authorized by the Massachusetts Bay Colony's General Court on May 27, 1652, alongside the sixpence and shilling denominations. The dies were cut by Joseph Jenks, a skilled ironworker from the Saugus Iron Works, and the coins were struck in Boston under the direction of mintmasters John Hull and Robert Sanderson — the same team responsible for the subsequent Willow Tree, Oak Tree, and Pine Tree coinage series. Produced in sterling silver (.925 fine) with a target weight of 18 grains (approximately 1.17 grams), the threepence was the smallest denomination in the NE series and its tiny size contributed to its exceptionally low survival rate, as small coins were easily lost and their minimal silver content offered less incentive for preservation. The austere NE/III design, consisting entirely of stamped letters and numerals with no pictorial elements, made these coins vulnerable to clipping and shaving — practical deficiencies that prompted the Massachusetts authorities to replace the NE coinage with the more elaborate tree designs shortly after production began. The two surviving threepence specimens are individually tracked by researchers, and each appearance constitutes a landmark event in the study of the earliest American colonial silver coinage.