Pine Tree Shilling

[Upham]

Ever since I was a kid I've wanted a metal detector. I used to work at Bass Pro and about three years ago I spotted a Tectonics 4000 in the store and bought it. I took it out a couple times in the yard really didn't know what I was doing. I knew where there was a very old granite quarry way out in the wood and decided I would metal detect it. I found shotgun shells, old metal fence posts tin cans. I soon realized I had to get going because I had to go to work. So I bee lined it through the woods swinging the detector at the same time. I got a nice tone knelt down and dug up some really thin piece that I thought was the cap of a champagne bottle so I stuffed it in my pocket and high tailed it back to my truck. When I got to my truck I emptied my pocket and took a better look at my find and still had no idea what it was. I have a buddy that did some metal detecting so I sent him a picture and asked if he knew what it was and he called me some bad names said I was a liar and that I didn't find it, I was just teasing because I knew he wanted to find one of them. Still not knowing what I had I told him I just dug it out of the ground. He wanted to meet me and look at it so we met at BPS and thats when he told me it was a pinetree shilling. I had no idea!
I took it to a coin show and had a couple coin dealers and they thought it was worth somewhere in the vacinity of $2500 to $7000. They said I should have it appraised. I sent it to PCGS and when all was said and done I paid $350 for them to tell me it was genuine, it has very fine details and it was environmentally damaged and wouldn't appraise it. I love this coin, it is an important part of our history. I will never sell it and it will some day belong to my grand son who I hope will value it as much as I do. I doubt I will ever top this find but I keep on trying.

 

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[Megalodon]

Thanks for posting those pics! Congrats again on such a bucket-list find. Was this your first coin found ?

I used to traipse through an old quarry in Taunton called "the ledge" but never used a metal detector there - it was very trashy. The attraction of the flooded quarry was all the smallmouth bass. I often cut through that quarry area to reach the RR tracks where I would rescue turtles, especially wood turtles. Maybe I should have been swinging a detector in those woods!

 

[Upham]

Can you believe it! Yes, it was my first coin!

 

[Megalodon]

That may be the best "first coin" of this forum!

Definitely worth many more return trips.

 

[Inspector]

That's a killer for your first, what a beautiful coin, congratulations on the save

 

[smokeythecat]

That is a beauty! It has great detail, the environmental damage should not effect the pricing much, put it in a safe place!

 

[Upham]

I keep it in my gun safe!

 

[Ahab8]

What a beautiful Mass Silver! NOE 16? I don’t have my book in front of me but I believe that’s the variety. Unlike you I had been staring at these coins in books and studying the history of them. When I made my lifetime wish list a Mass silver was at the top of that list. I remember the day I pulled mine out of the dirt so vividly....I felt like I was floating lol. An incredible feeling indeed. I would be heading back to that area and hunting every square inch. Congrats on such an incredible example. They don’t get better than that. As Smokey mentioned once you get into the age, rarity and desirability of these types of coins that Environmental Damage tag has little to no effect.

 

[ToddsPoint]

Truly a great find, especially for your first. I'm curious why PCGS charged you $350? I thought they slabbed coins for $50? What am I missing? Gary

 

[Ahab8]

Truly a great find, especially for your first. I'm curious why PCGS charged you $350? I thought they slabbed coins for $50? What am I missing? Gary

Hi Gary,
I’m not positive but I believe the more valuable the coin the higher the rates likely due to the risk of them damaging it.

 

[Ahab8]

Hi Gary,
I’m not positive but I believe the more valuable the coin the higher the rates likely due to the risk of them damaging it.

I stand corrected. This coin isn’t nearly valuable enough to be elevated to that category. I just looked at the rate chart again and have no idea why the op had to pay so much

 

[Upham]

Truly a great find, especially for your first. I'm curious why PCGS charged you $350? I thought they slabbed coins for $50? What am I missing? Gary

I can't remember exactly but when I looked into PCGS I thought you had to join. I don't remember what membership cost. Then I had to insure the coin for what I thought it was worth, to and from PCGS. A coin dealer that said he used to grade coins told me he thought it was worth between $2500-$7000. The paperwork was very confusing I just remember at the end of it all I was out $350. It really doesn't matter to me because I love this coin and will never sell it, I just wanted it graded.

 

[Ken C]

WOW! Congrats on such an amazing find.

 

[Ahab8]

I can't remember exactly but when I looked into PCGS I thought you had to join. I don't remember what membership cost. Then I had to insure the coin for what I thought it was worth, to and from PCGS. A coin dealer that said he used to grade coins told me he thought it was worth between $2500-$7000. The paperwork was very confusing I just remember at the end of it all I was out $350. It really doesn't matter to me because I love this coin and will never sell it, I just wanted it graded.

At the end of the day a small investment for an amazing coin. I think you have the best signature on Tnet lol

 

[Upham]

At the end of the day a small investment for an amazing coin. I think you have the best signature on Tnet lol

Thanks!

 

[Steve in PA]

Wow! What a nice specimen. Great detail on that one.

 

[washingtonian]

Oh my gosh! That thing is absolutely stunning. When you really think about it, every coin that got touched after leaving the mint has “environmental damage”. Some of them might have oily hand smudge marks, others discoloration from dirt. Amazing find!!

 

[HIGHSTRUNG]

That is an awesome find. Congrats!

 

[FieldStone]

Smallmouth bass....care to share where this Quarry is? I'm right down the road in RI.

 

[Upham]

No water!