Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) recently graded the only privately held 1652 New England threepence, the rarest American colonial coin known, according to PCGS.   

Only the second extant example, the coin was graded at Extremely Fine 45 after its recent discovery. The only other example known is in the custody of the Massachusetts Historical Society. While another example was discovered to be missing from Yale University’s Collection close to a century ago, that piece has not been accounted for since.

“This is one of the most important coins in all of American numismatics,” said PCGS President Stephanie Sabin. “Since before the Civil War, collectors have regarded the 1652 New England threepence as the single-rarest American colonial coin. And for more than a century it’s been known as entirely unobtainable for private collectors. The discovery of this outstanding [example], tracing back to Boston’s historic Quincy family, means this national treasure is available for ownership by private numismatists for the first time in generations,” Sabin adds. “It was an honor to grade this coin, protecting it for future generations before it heads to auction this autumn.”

This 1652 New England threepence will be offered by Stack’s Bowers Galleries in November 2024. The auction of this unparalleled rarity is expected to drum up much interest in the numismatic community and beyond. John Kraljevich, Stack’s Bowers Galleries’ director of numismatic Americana, remarks, “For the entire lifetime of every collector alive today, the New England threepence has been entirely non-collectible, with not a single [example] in private hands anywhere in the world.” He goes on to say, “This [example], now the finer of two extant, is the most important colonial numismatic treasure to be discovered in a century or more. What could possibly be more desirable than a one-of-a-kind rarity from the very first issue to be struck in North America?”

The last time a 1652 New England threepence resided in private numismatic hands was in the early 1900s. Boston scholar William Sumner Appleton owned the example that went to the Massachusetts Historical Society after his death in 1903. No collector alive today has had the opportunity to purchase a 1652 New England threepence, making the encapsulation and sale of this recently discovered example all the more remarkable.

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Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) recently graded the only privately held 1652 New England threepence, the rarest American colonial coin known, according to PCGS.   

Only the second extant example, the coin was graded at Extremely Fine 45 after its recent discovery. The only other example known is in the custody of the Massachusetts Historical Society. While another example was discovered to be missing from Yale University’s Collection close to a century ago, that piece has not been accounted for since.

“This is one of the most important coins in all of American numismatics,” said PCGS President Stephanie Sabin. “Since before the Civil War, collectors have regarded the 1652 New England threepence as the single-rarest American colonial coin. And for more than a century it’s been known as entirely unobtainable for private collectors. The discovery of this outstanding [example], tracing back to Boston’s historic Quincy family, means this national treasure is available for ownership by private numismatists for the first time in generations,” Sabin adds. “It was an honor to grade this coin, protecting it for future generations before it heads to auction this autumn.”

This 1652 New England threepence will be offered by Stack’s Bowers Galleries in November 2024. The auction of this unparalleled rarity is expected to drum up much interest in the numismatic community and beyond. John Kraljevich, Stack’s Bowers Galleries’ director of numismatic Americana, remarks, “For the entire lifetime of every collector alive today, the New England threepence has been entirely non-collectible, with not a single [example] in private hands anywhere in the world.” He goes on to say, “This [example], now the finer of two extant, is the most important colonial numismatic treasure to be discovered in a century or more. What could possibly be more desirable than a one-of-a-kind rarity from the very first issue to be struck in North America?”

The last time a 1652 New England threepence resided in private numismatic hands was in the early 1900s. Boston scholar William Sumner Appleton owned the example that went to the Massachusetts Historical Society after his death in 1903. No collector alive today has had the opportunity to purchase a 1652 New England threepence, making the encapsulation and sale of this recently discovered example all the more remarkable.

Connect with Coin World:  
Sign up for our free eNewsletter
Access our Dealer Directory  
Like us on Facebook  
Follow us on X (Twitter)
Keep in touch on MyCollect - the social media platform for collectibles 

Whether you’re a current subscriber or new, you can take advantage of the best offers on magazine subscriptions available in digital, print or both! Whether you want your issue every week or every month, there’s a subscription to meet your needs.