🥇 BANNER AMAZINGLY rare variety 1652 Oak Tree Threepence - Find of a lifetime!!!

Dirtwisher

Hero Member
Nov 1, 2013
513
882
MA
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
XP Deus 9" and 11", AT Pro, Propointer
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Wow. I've been preparing to write this since I found the coin, but I couldn't even concentrate enough to get my thoughts down, let anyone perform my professional or family duties. Let me set this up a little first though. During the course of the past few years, it has become an obsession for me to ponder the infinitesimal probability of finding of a MA tree coin on every property, park, beach, foundation or town square I drive by. When I saw Abe's incredible pine tree shilling a while back, the possibility seemed somehow more real. Here was a guy in what used to be part of Massachusetts, a guy who puts so much effort into his research and traveling to remote locations in search of old dirt, and he found one. Maybe, just maybe, I could find one too. But usually after five more hours in a field with nothing but a couple shotgun headstamps and some melted lead to show for it, the hope seemed to dim just a little more each day. You can tell this is going to be a long post, can't you...
Then came yesterday afternoon - my second day on a new permission, a smallish field that had an original late 17th/early 18th century home nearby. I had seen it last year, but only got up the nerve to ask permission last week when I was getting very discouraged at my usual spots. I hunted three hours the first day and man, what a letdown. I lost track of how many mangled aluminum cans and pulltabs I unearthed. No shoe buckles, no harmonica reeds, no buttons, not even many square nails, and basically no hope. Then I decided to move to a different smaller field and got a toasted large cent in the path that connected the two fields. I was a little more upbeat then, but could manage nothing else but some more garbage.
I came back yesterday though, because the large cent had stoked the fire just enough. I couldn't write this place off after one day, could I? Well, yesterday was pretty much a carbon copy of the first day. Found a bunch of modern junk, then popped what looks like a toasted KGII from a grassy slope adjacent to a stone wall on the high side of the field. Hmm.... Two coppers in 5 hours... but then two more hours of nothing. I realized what time it was and I had to go home and start making dinner for the kids, so I figured I'd swing by the spot I nabbed the copper and head from there to the car. Yup, the ol' trip to the car story! Sure enough, 20 feet into the corn stalks, I had what rang up at 69 on the Deus. Pretty much figured it was a pulltab, and I was pretty beat from two days of yardwork, but you know how you dig it all when you're on the way to the car? I took one shovelful and it was not in the hole. The pinpointer said it was in the dirt, but I couldn't find it. Then I had something round and SMALL in my palm, so I figured it was part of a beavertail. I picked it up and wiped off some dirt off one edge. The dirt was fairly hard to remove, but I thought I saw and N and an E. I thought, could it be? NO way, don't get your hopes up, so I turn it over and give it a soft, spit-laden wipe. Do I see branches? I DO! Wait, these are NOT pine tree branches... What the heck do the other branches on the MA silver coins look like? I couldn't remember because I thought if I ever found a tree coin, it would be the most common variety of pine tree. By this point I'm shaking, I'm down on one knee, resting the coin on my thigh, trying not to die of excitement. I let out a couple loud "YES! I finally did it!" yells, then got back to absorbing the enormity of the moment. I had to go grocery shopping, do all the dishes and that kind of stuff, so I had to wait until tonight to make sure I had my thoughts together. Here's the proof! Sorry the pics are screenshots - hard to remove GPS info on my laptop...
oaktreefield5.png oaktreefield4.png oaktreefield9.png oaktreefield12.png Oaktree1.jpg treecoin3.png
Now comes the BEST part - I got home with the coin and tried to figure out what exactly I had found, but I couldn't find any examples anywhere on any website. I thought that might be good, that it might be rare or super rare, but maybe that was my imagination running away with me again. Then my wife sends me to the grocery story so the kids will have something to eat at school. So there I am, last night in the cereal aisle at Stop and Shop, texting Abe pictures of my coin and asking if he can help with an ID and variety. Like the amazing guy he is, he says he will look it up today for me. I never expected what he would text me though. He said he found it in his book, that it is an NOE 26, 4-A.2 Oak Tree, and there are likely BETWEEN 5-8 OF THESE KNOWN!!! Are you kidding me!!!
Oaktreeinfo.jpg I just found one of the rarest freaking coins in the United States!!! I ran downstairs and told my wife to get off the treadmill and tell me who her daddy is. Then I called Abe, who allowed me to go on like a schoolgirl about the find (he encouraged it, actually) and he expressed the most sincere happiness for my find. What a guy. Here's to you, buddy. Sorry for the super long post, friends. I never thought I'd get this opportunity.
Best of luck to everyone. I can't express enough thanks to everyone on T-net for reading, and to whatever force miraculously led my coil over this coin!

Jeff
 

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oxbowbarefoot

Banned
May 25, 2011
2,268
1,850
🥇 Banner finds
4
Primary Interest:
Other
I said I wasn't going to say it publicly, but Dirtwisher just made me a liar. This is without a doubt one of the best coin finds ever posted on TNet and Banner! This variety is insanely rare, with 10 or fewer surmised to exist, maybe 11 now and only 5-8 known. My Pine Tree Threepence is not even close to as rare or valuable as this one. Infact, if I may yield any banner votes for mine to this one, I do so 100%. Incredible!

http://www.stacksarchive.com/viewlo...==&PHPSESSID=53c261f3ac85809eb70c0e1db360837f
 

Last edited:

cjon455

Gold Member
Jun 4, 2012
9,207
11,541
Northeast PA
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab Etrac
Garrett Propointer
Garrett Propointer-AT
Sampson T handle shovel
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Fantastic story for an amazing find!, should be banner in no time!
 

luke_00

Sr. Member
Jun 15, 2015
336
821
North Carolina
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Max
Garrett Ace 250
Garrett ProPointer
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
AWESOME FIND. CONGRATS!!!!!
 

46Wheat

Silver Member
May 23, 2014
3,648
3,357
Upstate NY
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab Etrac / Equinox 800 / 8.5x11 DD and 5x8 DD coil /
Garrett ProPointer / Lesche Digger
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Wow . What a discovery . I am in awe
 

ClovisOak

Full Member
Jul 11, 2012
186
227
Chicagoland
Detector(s) used
Garrett ACE 350, Bounty Hunter, Garrett Pin Pointer
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Banner Coin, Banner Story, Congrats!
 

TRanegar36

Sr. Member
May 1, 2012
492
366
IL
Detector(s) used
Equinox 900, Pro-Pointer AT, Stealth 720i Hybrid
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Got my vote, congrats buddy!
 

OP
OP
Dirtwisher

Dirtwisher

Hero Member
Nov 1, 2013
513
882
MA
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
XP Deus 9" and 11", AT Pro, Propointer
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Thank you so much, everyone! I told my wife this is the best day of my life. That didn't go over so well. I added "in the last month".
 

Scrappy

Gold Member
Mar 6, 2014
9,204
14,019
17th century
🥇 Banner finds
7
Detector(s) used
Minelab CTX 3030 & XP Deus
Primary Interest:
Other
Abe sent me a pic and I shat myself. He said he would pass my congrats along to you but here it is again...CONGRATULATIONS DUDE!!!!!!!!

Holy crap you did it. And I do believe it's a hair rarer than your buddies pine tree;)

Awesome. Banner. Banner. Banner!
 

toasted

Silver Member
Jun 1, 2015
3,437
14,079
Maryland
🥇 Banner finds
5
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 600 XP Deus
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Awesome. Thats definately a keeper. I hope I can find a merc soon. :notworthy: LOL
 

Stef45

Hero Member
Jan 7, 2016
781
1,228
SC
Detector(s) used
Minelab Safari
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
WOW! I don't even know what to say other than Banner!
 

OP
OP
Dirtwisher

Dirtwisher

Hero Member
Nov 1, 2013
513
882
MA
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
XP Deus 9" and 11", AT Pro, Propointer
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Abe sent me a pic and I shat myself. He said he would pass my congrats along to you but here it is again...CONGRATULATIONS DUDE!!!!!!!!

Holy crap you did it. And I do believe it's a hair rarer than your buddies pine tree;)

Awesome. Banner. Banner. Banner!
Ha Ha you're killing me! Do you guys know how much I have wanted to have something that would get these kinds of comments? My kids think I'm a dork, but then again so do most of my friends, but all of you guys "get it" so you're awesome.
 

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
Banner find man. I know you are thrilled with that one. congrats on new permission too
 

Brentallica

Bronze Member
May 6, 2009
2,169
813
Michigan
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
Minelab Explorer SE
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Incredible coin and story. You did it! Congratulations!!
 

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