A small silver coin minted in Boston in the 17th century Sold for $2.5 million. of 1652 Massachusetts 3 pence It’s about the same size as a nickel, weighs just 1.1 grams, and the silver itself is worth $1.03 based on today’s market. This amazing auction price surpasses the previous world record of $646,250 for an American coin minted before the American Revolutionary War. It also set a record for the highest selling price for a non-gold U.S. coin issued before the establishment of the U.S. Mint in 1792.
The 3 pence was struck just weeks before the future opening of the first U.S. mint. The Boston Mint is Officially founded on May 27, 1652 The idea was to help Massachusetts Bay Colony businesses, which were already commercially successful, secure sufficient funding. At that time, Britain had no intention of sending gold or silver coins to the colonies because they were in short supply. According to the Smithsonian National Museum of American HistoryBoston authorities authorized two colonists, John Hull and Robert Sanderson, to establish a mint in 1652. The two immediately minted silver coins. rebel against royal authority.
This New England 3p coin is also the only example of it outside of a museum. of The Massachusetts Historical Society has had one of these coins in its collection for 120 years. And no private collector has had the opportunity to own one of these.
All types of coins produced by the Boston Mint are rare. Silver threepence, sixpence and shillings were all struck. Four different designs from 1652 to 1682. The most famous and numerous of these coins are pine tree shilling It was struck during the last ten years of Boston Mint operation. These NE 1652 coins are extremely rare and all have small New England NE and pence values (shown as III, VI, or XII). The three pence coin is the rarest of the 1652 North East coins.
This particular 3 pence note is Found in an old cabinet in Amsterdam around 2016. It is thought to have come from the Quincy family of Boston. This New England political dynasty included Abigail Adams, whose husband John served as ambassador to the Netherlands in the 1770s and 1780s and eventually became the second president of the United States. Abigail’s great-grandfather John Hull’s brother-in-law Who minted these coins? Extensive testing by Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) Revealed that it is the true NE Threepence.
[Related: Benjamin Franklin used science to protect his money from counterfeiters.]
Stack’s Bowers Gallery Numismatic Americana Director John Kraljevich; He said he was “very pleasantly shocked” by the price.This was more than three times the internal pre-sales forecast. The name of the buyer was not disclosed.
Two other 1652 New England Schillings also sold at this auction for $60,000 and $192,000. Other collectibles sold by the auction house for more than $1 million include a 1936 Nobel Peace Prize medal and rare banknotes.
