1652 Shilling Pine Tree - Small Planchet

Coin Details

Description

The Pine Tree shilling on the small planchet represents the later phase of Massachusetts Bay Colony silver production, struck approximately 1675 to 1682. The transition from large to small planchets — reducing the diameter from roughly 27-29mm down to about 22-26mm while maintaining the same 72-grain (4.67 gram) silver weight — resulted in a thicker, more compact coin that was harder to clip and closer in size to the contemporary English shilling. The obverse features the pine tree within MASATHVSETS IN, now rendered in a more compressed format to fit the smaller flan. The reverse carries XII and NEW ENGLAND AN DOM 1652. The reduced planchet diameter forced the die sinker to compress the legends more tightly around the central device, sometimes resulting in letters that crowd or overlap. The tree itself is often rendered in a slightly more compact form. The shift to small planchets was motivated by practical considerations. The earlier large-format Massachusetts coins were notably thinner than English shillings of the same period, making them vulnerable to clipping — the criminal practice of shaving silver from the edges. A thicker coin on a smaller planchet was inherently more resistant to this form of fraud while containing the same amount of precious metal. Small planchet Pine Tree shillings are the most common type of Massachusetts colonial silver, relatively speaking. The final seven years of the Hull Mint's operation produced a substantial output, and more die varieties are cataloged for the small planchet format than for any other Massachusetts type. Nevertheless, they remain genuinely rare coins by broader numismatic standards, and choice specimens with full legends and sharp tree detail command strong premiums.

Rarity Notes

Rare, but the most available Massachusetts colonial silver type. Multiple die varieties exist with varying degrees of scarcity.

Cross References

Noe 17-33; Salmon; Whitman 435-480; Crosby