A newly discovered undated (1652) New England threepence graded Extremely Fine 45 by Professional Coin Grading Service brought a robust $2,520,000 at Stack’s Bowers Galleries on November 18. Listed as Noe 1-A and Salmon 1-A in the references on early Massachusetts silver coins, the cataloger called it, “The greatest rarity of all pre-Federal coin” and “the most significant numismatic discovery in generations.”

It was discovered in the Netherlands in 2016 and the only other known example resides in the Massachusetts Historical Society. Another example stolen from Yale in the 1960s and not seen since, though the cataloger assures bidders that the subject offering is not the missing Yale coin.

All of the simple stamped NE coins are rare: NE shillings are the most often seen, with just seven NE sixpences known and the New England issues are considered the first “American” coins.

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