🥇 BANNER A find of a life time 1652 Massachustetts pine tree 6 pence

Coinshooter2012

Jr. Member
Nov 26, 2012
33
58
🥇 Banner finds
1
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I headed out Monday with a couple of my good friends Scott and Jesse. We go to this site it was an old field used for I don't even know how many years.

This location has been known for putting out barbers, mercs and other silver coins. Jesse made a pass toward the left center of the field about 100 ft from me Scott was hunting about 20 ft from me.

My first signal was a penny signal I figured for sure it was a Memorial, I flip the plug wave the pin pointer over it and notice a small silver edge in the plug, thinking now it was a pull tab I pull this small coin out of the dirt. I saw the writing on the back and yelled I got something. I ran over to Scott and handed it to him the coin flipped in his hand and bam the pine tree shined in the sun. I freaked out like a school girl "it's a pine tree"! Scott flippant the coin over and sees the 1652 on the back side of the coin. I hear Jesse in the background say "no way". The three of us we so mind boggled the phones came out. Bill Ladd got a text with the pic of the coin and before I knew what just happened I was calling my wife, it was 7:58 am. It was a coin I had wanted to find since I started detecting a year ago. On the way to the site we were just talking about finding a pine tree coin.
Next step is get it graded and appraised and see if what I'm holding is really worth what everyone is saying.
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Coinshooter2012

Jr. Member
Nov 26, 2012
33
58
🥇 Banner finds
1
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Thank you everyone, I never dreamed after a year I would have found this. This coin sure has generated a ton of interest.
 

Brian in MA

Sr. Member
Sep 4, 2004
477
9
Massachusetts
Detector(s) used
Minelab Explorer II
Primary Interest:
Other
I haven't had much time lately to post here but I still check in occasionally. When I saw this post, there was no way I could click away with leaving a comment.

Congratulations on finding not just a 'find of a lifetime' but truly a piece of our history. Even though it seems like these are popping up more frequently lately it doesn't take away from how rare of a find your coin is and I mean 'rare' from a historical perspective. Having had the thrill of finding Mass silver myself I can honestly say the monetary value is of little concern to me because I have no plans on selling, but their value is 'priceless' to me due to the historical significance of these coins. I hope you feel the same about yours.

But, I can understand your desire to gain more knowledge as to its exact type and grade. Personally, I would be interested in knowing the exact type and grade of mine as well but would never trust sending them through the mail.

Just treasure your find (pun intended) and be thankful to live in this part of the country where these historic finds can be recovered. You have found an amazing coin. Congrats again !!

Brian in MA
 

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Coinshooter2012

Jr. Member
Nov 26, 2012
33
58
🥇 Banner finds
1
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I haven't had much time lately to post here but I still check in occasionally. When I saw this post, there was no way I could click away with leaving a comment.

Congratulations on finding not just a 'find of a lifetime' but truly a piece of our history. Even though it seems like these are popping up more frequently lately it doesn't take away from how rare of a find your coin is and I mean 'rare' from a historical perspective. Having had the thrill of finding Mass silver myself I can honestly say the monetary value is of little concern to me because I have no plans on selling, but their value is 'priceless' to me due to the historical significance of these coins. I hope you feel the same about yours.

But, I can understand your desire to gain more knowledge as to its exact type and grade. Personally, I would be interested in knowing the exact type and grade of mine as well but would never trust sending them through the mail.

Just treasure your find (pun intended) and be thankful to live in this part of the country where these historic finds can be recovered. You have found an amazing coin. Congrats again !!

Brian in MA


Thank You Brian, Im actually waiting to see if PGCS comes to boston at sometime I will bring the coin to them and they would be able to grade on site. Having it leave my hands would give my sleepless nights and if anything happened to it i would never be able to replace it.

The historical value is stunning. Being able to take this coin in my hand 100's of years after it was minted and know that John Hull held the coin as he hammered each plancket, is truely stunning.
 

oxbowbarefoot

Banned
May 25, 2011
2,268
1,850
🥇 Banner finds
4
Primary Interest:
Other
That is a fantastic find! I hope you pound that site hard and leave not one tone, you never know where that little guys friends are. Both my Oak tree shilling and quarter cut pine tree shilling came from the same site. Even of there aren't any more tree coins in the ground there are bound to be countless other goodies at a site that old! Good luck hunting and congrats on the Banner find!
 

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Coinshooter2012

Jr. Member
Nov 26, 2012
33
58
🥇 Banner finds
1
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
That is a fantastic find! I hope you pound that site hard and leave not one tone, you never know where that little guys friends are. Both my Oak tree shilling and quarter cut pine tree shilling came from the same site. Even of there aren't any more tree coins in the ground there are bound to be countless other goodies at a site that old! Good luck hunting and congrats on the Banner find!

Thanks oxbowbarefoot, I would like to find one of each, pine tree, oak and willow, have the full set that would be really cool.
 

olas13

Full Member
Oct 12, 2004
160
238
Rhode Island,USA
Detector(s) used
Excaliber 2,minelab sov., whites surfmaster. tesoro.equinox 800
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
VERY nice . Congrats. still looking for mine. 20 years in..... A whole year huh? Nice job!
 

doninbrewster

Bronze Member
Jun 15, 2013
1,539
2,778
New York
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
CTX 3030
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Was just looking at this post and thought I'd comment. I don't think the coin is clipped. That's the way they made most of the Noe 33's. Most are struck with misaligned dies resulting in one side being centered and the other with the top missing. Standard weight is supposed to be 36 grains, but they tend to be more in the 33-34 range. Can't tell for sure without seeing the actual coin, but I'd say it's a VF. I should add, that when it comes to colonials including Mass silver, eye appeal will often affect value much more than technical grade. I should mention I've only been collecting colonials for more than 25 years.
Don
Former contributor to the colonial section of the Guide Book of United States Coins (The Redbook)
 

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Budman231

Full Member
Sep 21, 2013
123
79
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
This is a super find from the 1600's... That is crazy !

The mystery and adventure of metal detecting is really powerful because of finds like this. Congrats !!

Bud
 

FreeBirdTim

Silver Member
Sep 24, 2013
3,784
6,775
Scituate, RI
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I am thrilled that you found it in my home state of Rhode Island! It gives me hope that one day I'll find one out here in the boonies of North Scituate. I'm sure I could find one if they'd just take down all those pesky fences around the Scituate Reservoir! LOL!

As for slabbing the coin, I'm with you. Even though everyone here agrees that it's authentic, I would get it graded just to confirm it's authenticity. I found a late 1700's brass shoe buckle a few months back and you would not believe the nasty comments I got when I told my friends and relatives how old it was. They thought I was an idiot and full of it. So I do understand why you want to get it authenticated and graded. Just wait until they come to the New England area and have it slabbed in person. No way would I trust USPS to deliver that safely!
 

DigIron2

Silver Member
Jan 22, 2014
4,031
2,967
Virginia
Detector(s) used
Fisher f75/1270/1266x/Radio Shack Treasure tracker/
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
holy hell what a coin:o
 

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