1652 Shilling Pine Tree, Large Planchet, Pellets AU55 认证号30855378, PCGS号45369

Ron Guth

The Large Planchet Pine Tree Shillings are among the most impressive of the Massachusetts silver pieces.  One of the many varieties of this type comes with a dot (or pellet) below the branches on either side of the trunk.  This can only be seen on Noe 1, as all the other Large Planchet varieties lack the pellets.  The purpose of the pellets is unknown.

Noe 1 is one of the more plentiful Pine Tree Shillings, this it is easy (though not inexpensive) to obtain one in nice condition.  We know of more than a dozen examples in Mint State, the best being two NGC MS65+'s: one from the Donald Partrick Collection and the other from the John J. Ford, Jr. Collection.

The Large Planchet Pine Tree Shilings were struck using a rocker press, thus most have slightly wavy planchets.  Many of them were clipped from strips after having been struck; others seem never to have been clipped at all.  Others were clipped to remove silver, so it is best to purchase examples that are as close as possible to the statutory weight of 72 grains.