(1652) Shilling New England MS(PCGS#13)

August 2023 Global Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

5001

等级

AU53

价格

1,267,022

详细说明

Majestic Noe II-A NE Shilling The Winsor (1895) Specimen Undated (1652) NE Shilling. Noe II-A, Salmon 2-B, W-60. Rarity-7-. AU-53 (PCGS). CAC. 30.7 mm x 30.4 mm. 71.29 grains. One of the most majestic NE shillings extant, a coin that is superlative in nearly every way an NE shilling can be. Unlike so many coins of later eras, NE shillings vary widely in terms of size, roundness, toning, and grade; this coin excels in all categories. At nearly 31 mm from 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock, this piece is materially larger than most NE shillings, though the Roach-Picker-Hain specimen of this variety measured 31.7 mm x 30.5 mm. The surfaces roll, perfectly uneven as made, with toning of pale blue, bright gold and hints of violet. Interesting areas of as-made uneven surface texture - perhaps from hammer, perhaps from anvil, perhaps from the rolling out of an ingot flaw - are present around the edges and at center-bottom of the reverse. The edges are a bit crude in areas, again as made, with a scalloped area in the northwest quadrant of the obverse particularly notable. The NE punch is especially bold, soft only at the lower upright of the N and the left border of the punch, but elsewhere barely worn and fully realized. A good deal of luster persists in the area. The reverse punch outline is complete at top and left, partial at base, and shows all three characters complete and crisp. Some old detritus still surrounds the denomination characters, but it hides neither the inherent frost nor the fine engraver lines that are still easily seen with a glass. Three light marks, lined up on a diagonal below the Roman numeral X of the denomination, are the only notable contact points, slightly visible from the obverse, but useful as markers that link this coin with an impressive provenance. Otherwise, a glass reveals just the most minor evidence of handling, with minor marks and some faint hairlines. This variety claims a population of 12 specimens in the Howes survey, including two in the ANS, one in the Byron Reed Collection at the Durham Western History Museum, and two in the British Museum, leaving only seven examples in private hands. We offered two in our (Stack's) 2002 Hain Family Collection sale, Howes 4 (ex: Jenks-Jay-Gibson) and Howes 5 (ex: Roach-Picker 1991). The Belden Roach-Hain coin crossed our desk again in May 2007, when it realized $414,000 as lot 319 of our (Stack's) Henry Leon sale. More recently, the Clay-Warner-Ezra Cole specimen was offered in Partrick, graded VF-35 (NGC) and very pleasing but for a long reverse scratch; it realized $129,250. That coin can also be provenanced to the famed W.W.C. Wilson sale as lot 4. In the Partrick sale, the cataloger estimated the grade of this coin, based upon the Winsor plate, as "Fine," a cautionary tale for those who try to evaluate quality from images. Aside from the Hain coins, the Partrick coin and the present coin, it has been decades since a specimen of this variety was offered. None was in the Boyd-Ford collection. There was one in the 1984 Picker sale, and the lovely Cleanay coin that was last offered in the 1979 Pine Tree Altman-Haffner sale has found a secure home privately in recent years. The Stickney coin, last sold in 1907, was used as clip art in B. Max Mehl's Star Rare Coin Encyclopediabut has not otherwise been seen since. Prior to 2015, this example appears to have not had an auction appearance in 120 years. Its quality recommends it to those among us who seek one really beautiful NE shilling as a type coin. Provenance: Ex S.H and H. Chapman's sale of the Richard B. Winsor, Esq. Collection, December 1895, lot 1; later, Lester Merkin, November 10, 1976; Henry P. Kendall Foundation; our sale of the Henry P. Kendall Foundation Collection, March 2015 Baltimore Auction, lot 2303; Heritage's sale of the Collection of a Patriotic American, August 2019 ANA Signature Auction, lot 3631. PCGS# 13. NGC ID: 2AR9. Click here for certification details from PCGS. Click here to see Coins in Motion.[“Coins]