1652 Massachusetts Pine Tree Shilling...

[PhipsFolly]

Hi all... I don't typically post in this section as I live in Florida. I just thought I would share a few pics of a beautiful 1652 PIne Tree Shilling I just purchased. I wish I had the time and finances to be up there in MA looking for one myself, but I am happy that I was at least able to buy one. It is fully graded (slabbed) by NGC so I am comfortable that it is the real deal.

The first time I got to see a real one of these was years ago when I met a treasure hunter who had worked on the wreck of the HMS Fevershim which had some of these rare coins on board. I believe that wreck was discovered off of Nova Scotia, but I haven't done any research into that yet. Anyway, I have been hoping to get one ever since then as I am very interested in Early American History... just glad the opportunity came around for me to buy this one. Hope you all like it...

I also just purchased a rare "pirate artifact" from Cape Cod. I have friends who grew up on the Cape and beach hunt the area along Marconi Beach just inshore from the wreck of the Whydah (Sam Bellamy's pirate ship). One of them found a 1600's/1700's pewter urethral syringe with the remains of the mercury mixture still inside!! The pirates used to inject mercury as a cure all but used it especially for venerial diseases... and it definately "cured" just about everything including breathing!! I have contacted the Whydah museum and will be making a trip up there to have them hopefully authenticate this piece and hope to meet up with Barry Clifford (the finder of this wreck... which you all probably already knew) this summer... very excited!

I will have to get back to this post later and put some pics on of the coin and the syringe as I have an appointment to get to right now. Sorry... stay tuned... Phips

 

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[Cubfan64]

Very cool! Looking forward to the pictures.

A urethral syringe yikes!!!! Them pirates were tough blokes!

 

[BuckleBoy]

yuck. I wouldn't mind seeing the coin though...

 

[PhipsFolly]

HI... ok... i'm back home. my PT Shilling is in a slabbed holder from NGC so I did my best with the pics. Give me a few minutes more and i'll post the pics of the pewter syringe. The th'ers and archies have found several other pewter syringes on the actual wreck site of the Wyhdah and one was found on the Queen Anne's Revenge (Blackbeards wreck in the Carolinas)... all very similar in design to mine. It sounds like a nasty item but what a piece of pirate history... those dirty buggars!!! Enjoy... Phips

 

[PhipsFolly]

OK... here's the syringe pic. I had to black out the background as it is now in my shadow box display and it sets on some material which tends to create a glare in the background during photos. I left it as it was found on Marconi Beach by metal detector... it still has the marine growth on it. Just a rare and unique piece of history I thought.

I also put in a pic of my 1650's period Long Holster Flintlock Pistol. It was recovered in an indian mound in Ft. Pierce, Florida back in the 1960's. It was found wrapped in what was the remains of oil cloth. It was most likely taken from a shipwreck survivor (or maybe not a survivor but a victim) by the local Ais Indians. There were many shipwrecks in the area (including the well known 1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet). This pistol is in amazing condition and the most exciting part about it is... that it has 4 notches carved in the handle which I believe was done by the pistol's owner to indicate the number of people they had killed with it!!

Just thought you might like to see this stuff. All the best... Phips

 

[Cubfan64]

Beautiful pistol!! Wouldn't you just love to know the history of something like that!!?

As far as the syringe goes - unique piece of history, but I don't think I want to know the history behind it (hehe). I had to cringe and scrunch my legs together just looking at it!!

I need to get down there sometime and see the Whydah museum and exhibits!

Thanks for the photos.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Wowzers! What a firearm!


Thanks for the photos!!!

 

[Gypsy Heart]

Absolutely beautiful pistol! Thanks for sharing !

 

[l.cutler]

Beautiful! Now that is a genuine Pine tree coin! Thanks.

 

[leprechaun]

Beautiful flintlock.