Sold for $2.52 million: Rare 1652 threepence coin
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Wednesday, December 25, 2024


Sold for $2.52 million: Rare 1652 threepence coin
Struck within weeks of the establishment of the first mint to be opened in the future United States, the New England threepence is the only example known outside of a museum.



COSTA MESA, CA.- A small silver coin about the size of a nickel, struck in Boston in 1652, set a world record today in an auction conducted by Stack’s Bowers Galleries, the world leader in auctions of rare early American coins and currency. Selling for $2,520,000 (with all included fees), the piece surpassed the previous world record price of $646,250 for an American coin struck before the American Revolution by nearly $2 million. The 1652 Massachusetts threepence also set a record for any non-gold U.S. coin struck before the founding of the United States Mint. Weighing just 1.1 grams, its silver value is $1.03 based on today’s market.

Struck within weeks of the establishment of the first mint to be opened in the future United States, the New England threepence is the only example known outside of a museum. A holed specimen has been in the collection of the Massachusetts Historical Society for 120 years. Since that time, no individual collector has had the opportunity to own an example. Today, several collectors pursued this once-in-several-lifetimes opportunity.

Stack’s Bowers Galleries Director of Numismatic Americana John Kraljevich, cataloger of the piece, noted after the sale that he was “very pleasantly shocked” at the price, which was more than three times in-house presale estimates. Stack’s Bowers Galleries’ auctioneer Ben Orooji called the 12-minute bidding battle “an exhilarating ride and a career highlight.”

All coinage from the Boston Mint is scarce. Silver threepences, sixpences, and shillings were struck in four different designs between 1652 and 1682, with the most famous and numerous of these being the Pine Tree shillings, struck over the last decade of the mint’s operation. The simple coins struck in 1652 are all extremely rare and feature just a tiny NE for New England and the denomination in pence (rendered as III, VI, or XII). Of the NE coins of 1652, the threepence is by far the rarest.

This piece was discovered in an old cabinet in Amsterdam around 2016 and belied identification for several years before the owner decided to thoroughly research his find. The coin is thought to have come from the Quincy Family of Boston, a political dynasty that included Abigail Adams, whose husband John was ambassador to the Netherlands in the 1770s and 1780s.

Two examples of the (1652) New England shilling were also sold in today’s auction, bringing $60,000 and $192,000. Among other highlights, a silver Libertas Americana medal, struck in Paris in 1783 at Benjamin Franklin’s order as a commemorative of American independence, brought $144,000.

The sale of this New England threepence marks the 58th time Stack’s Bowers Galleries has sold a coin at auction for $1 million or more. Additional $1+ million collectibles sold by the firm include the 1936 Nobel Peace Prize medal and several rare pieces of paper money.










Today's News

November 19, 2024

The Bell at Brown University announces solo exhibition "Franklin Williams: It's About Love"

East meets West at Bellmans this week

Wayne Edens' antique fishing lures set to hook new owners at Morphy's Dec. 9 auction

Reuben Murray wins main prize at the inaugural edition of the Cass Art Prize

Robert Simon Fine Art presents Sea, Sky, And Serenissima: Paintings by Connie Simmons

Exhibition at Hauser & Wirth Monaco celebrates the centenary year of the founding of the Surrealist movement

Exhibition shows how volume and colour were used for the purposes of religious persuasion in the early modern period

Ader to offer an early painting by Nicolas Poussin

The Whitney Museum promotes Meg Onli

Landmark survey considers the 80s as a pivotal moment for the medium of photography

'Gabriele Münter The Great Expressionist Woman Painter' opens at the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum

Museum Ludwig announces exhibition program 2025

Most comprehensive exhibition to date in Spain dedicated to Grada Kilomba opens at Museo Reina Sofía

Iconic 1973 Warhol Mao painting leads Heritage's Dec. 10 Modern & Contemporary Art Auction

Gordon Lightfoot's 1967 Gibson sells for $350,000 at Heritage Auctions

Exhibitions survey fifty years of William Leavitt's work

Christie's presents Science Fiction and Fantasy

Christie's joins group of 5,000 companies to be SBTi approved for near and long term Net Zero targets

Midcareer retrospective for internationally acclaimed artist Younes Rahmoun showcases his work

Sold for $2.52 million: Rare 1652 threepence coin

Moving to Serbia and Starting a Business There

Why Are Mylar Bags a Fast-Growing Segment?

Top 10 Best Android App Store List Alternative

Understanding Home Inspections: A Comprehensive Guide for Buyers and Sellers




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
(52 8110667640)

Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Attorneys
Truck Accident Attorneys
Accident Attorneys
Houston Dentist
Abogado de accidentes
สล็อต
สล็อตเว็บตรง
Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site Parroquia Natividad del Señor
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful