🥇 BANNER Still Shaking...1662 Massachusetts Oak Tree Twopence

[Silvermonkey]

Greetings!

I'll keep this short. I returned to a section of woods where I recently found a William iii halfpenny and a nicely gilded Navy button. I hunted for about three hours without much to show for my efforts. I hit a reasonable signal along side a stream...not a great signal, but I figured worth a look.

At the bottom of the hole was an incredibly small coin. Thought it might be a trime...but seemed too small.



It wasn't until I got it home that I realized what I had found...a 1662 Massachusetts Oak Tree Twopence coin. Honestly, I didn't even know that they minted a two pence coin. Not sure what variety it is, so will need to do some research. Can't begin to describe how excited I am. This is my oldest coin, and I doubt I will ever find one older.



This was literally the only coin I found after three hours of digging. You can see my other finds below. Thanks for taking a look. If anyone has any thoughts about the specific variety of the coin, please feel free to share. HH

 

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[ECris]

Wow! Congratulations. It is a beauty!

 

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[BennyV]

What do you think is the value on it?

 

[Danimal]

A huge congratulations man. Sometimes rarity goes beyond know minted quantities or even known existing examples. Even though I’m just a ghost in the shadows looking at other’s finds, this one my friend is truly something special.

 

[Portagee Digga]

Greetings!

I'll keep this short. I returned to a section of woods where I recently found a William iii halfpenny and a nicely gilded Navy button. I hunted for about three hours without much to show for my efforts. I hit a reasonable signal along side a stream...not a great signal, but I figured worth a look.

At the bottom of the hole was an incredibly small coin. Thought it might be a trime...but seemed too small.

View attachment 2025794 View attachment 2025795

It wasn't until I got it home that I realized what I had found...a 1662 Massachusetts Oak Tree Twopence coin. Honestly, I didn't even know that they minted a two pence coin. Not sure what variety it is, so will need to do some research. Can't begin to describe how excited I am. This is my oldest coin, and I doubt I will ever find one older.

View attachment 2025796 View attachment 2025797 View attachment 2025798

This was literally the only coin I found after three hours of digging. You can see my other finds below. Thanks for taking a look. If anyone has any thoughts about the specific variety of the coin, please feel free to share. HH

View attachment 2025803

I'm new to detecting.
I guess I'm not alone in digging for hours and finding nothing. Like in real estate its all about location. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Portagee Digga]

What do you think is the value on it?

 

[Portagee Digga]

View attachment 2031393

I have no idea, found on farm in Dartmouth, Ma.

 

[steelheadwill]

Congratulations on the sweet piece of mass silver,
In regards to the 'clipping' mentioned in someone's comment,
All of The Oak and Large planchet Pine issues were clipped down to weight at the Boston mint.
Their minting involved a strip of silver (there is a name for this) squeezed and stretched through a rocker press, the individual coins were then cut out and clipped down to weight.
In the case of your coin, 10.4 g or
.67 g, your choice 😂(grains/grams) now that's a fishscale.
Odd that the slabbed example someone posted says 12g.
The manufacturing process also caused the off center strike, as adjusting this type of press with it's curved dies was critical.
I don't see an easy match in the 7 reverses listed in Salmon,(from a single pair of does) that 2 is odd, but, Mass silver is odd.
I have an Oak threepence with an unlisted inverted M.
Anyway, fine find, here's some pix and info.
Thanks to Mr/Dr Salmon.

Look for the sinusoidal bend, indicative of the rocker press.

And keep your eyes open for one of these, you'd prolly score another banner.

 

[CoilyGirl]

Well done!

 

[Jose The Goon]

Congratulations on the sweet piece of mass silver,
In regards to the 'clipping' mentioned in someone's comment,
All of The Oak and Large planchet Pine issues were clipped down to weight at the Boston mint.
Their minting involved a strip of silver (there is a name for this) squeezed and stretched through a rocker press, the individual coins were then cut out and clipped down to weight.
In the case of your coin, 10.4 g or
.67 g, your choice 😂(grains/grams) now that's a fishscale.
Odd that the slabbed example someone posted says 12g.
The manufacturing process also caused the off center strike, as adjusting this type of press with it's curved dies was critical.
I don't see an easy match in the 7 reverses listed in Salmon,(from a single pair of does) that 2 is odd, but, Mass silver is odd.
I have an Oak threepence with an unlisted inverted M.
Anyway, fine find, here's some pix and info.
Thanks to Mr/Dr Salmon.
View attachment 2031476View attachment 2031477View attachment 2031478View attachment 2031479
Look for the sinusoidal bend, indicative of the rocker press.
View attachment 2031480
And keep your eyes open for one of these, you'd prolly score another banner.
View attachment 2031481

I never thought to create a "Bucket List" for myself but along with the 1823/2
Capped Bust Quarter, (only variety of the 1823), John Hull's 3, 6 & 12 pence
(Shilling) coins were always on my mind when detecting in Boston.
Over the years, I'm sure a few were tossed aside as just a flat piece of silver by the unaware who would not understand their rarity & significance as a coin. John Hull was paid "one shilling threepence for every twenty shillings coined as his compensation. This fee was adjusted several times during his term as mintmaster" (From Redbook 1984)
This would lead one to assume that Hull minted many more than just the handful that are today known to exist. Many may have been melted down, and many may have been lost or misplaced, but I'd bet there are still some hiding underground or in some attic somewhere.
Years ago, I hunted The Boston Common & The Public Gardens when I was doing construction work there, & these Hull coins were always a vision in my head because Hull's shop where he made these was just a few streets away from those parks. The Boston Common is the oldest public park in the United States having been established in 1634. Now, they'd probably hang you from the nearest tree if you started digging there without special permission.
Archies still dig around both parks, mostly looking for early colonial & Indian artifacts . If one of our members ever finds one of these Hull creations,
being put in the banner would be an understatement in my opinion.
There should be a "Super Banner" established for such a find.
Great post ! Thanks for putting it out there. J.T.G.

 

[donald_hale1969]

I am down in Suffolk, Virginia and found this Pine tree Shilling.

 

[Silvermonkey]

Fantastic coin donald_hale1969. When did you find it? What's the back story?

 

[Digger RJ]

Greetings!

I'll keep this short. I returned to a section of woods where I recently found a William iii halfpenny and a nicely gilded Navy button. I hunted for about three hours without much to show for my efforts. I hit a reasonable signal along side a stream...not a great signal, but I figured worth a look.

At the bottom of the hole was an incredibly small coin. Thought it might be a trime...but seemed too small.

View attachment 2025794 View attachment 2025795

It wasn't until I got it home that I realized what I had found...a 1662 Massachusetts Oak Tree Twopence coin. Honestly, I didn't even know that they minted a two pence coin. Not sure what variety it is, so will need to do some research. Can't begin to describe how excited I am. This is my oldest coin, and I doubt I will ever find one older.

View attachment 2025796 View attachment 2025797 View attachment 2025798

This was literally the only coin I found after three hours of digging. You can see my other finds below. Thanks for taking a look. If anyone has any thoughts about the specific variety of the coin, please feel free to share. HH

View attachment 2025803

Such an Incredible Find!!!!!! Congrats!!!!!!!

 

[pulltabfelix]

Greetings!

I'll keep this short. I returned to a section of woods where I recently found a William iii halfpenny and a nicely gilded Navy button. I hunted for about three hours without much to show for my efforts. I hit a reasonable signal along side a stream...not a great signal, but I figured worth a look.

At the bottom of the hole was an incredibly small coin. Thought it might be a trime...but seemed too small.

View attachment 2025794 View attachment 2025795

It wasn't until I got it home that I realized what I had found...a 1662 Massachusetts Oak Tree Twopence coin. Honestly, I didn't even know that they minted a two pence coin. Not sure what variety it is, so will need to do some research. Can't begin to describe how excited I am. This is my oldest coin, and I doubt I will ever find one older.

View attachment 2025796 View attachment 2025797 View attachment 2025798

This was literally the only coin I found after three hours of digging. You can see my other finds below. Thanks for taking a look. If anyone has any thoughts about the specific variety of the coin, please feel free to share. HH

View attachment 2025803

Not only a great old coin, but in great condition. Congrats. You can stop detecting now.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Killer Find, BIG Congrats!

 

[ipsilateral]

Great Find! Could you show pictures of the spoon?

 

[striker]

Greetings!

I'll keep this short. I returned to a section of woods where I recently found a William iii halfpenny and a nicely gilded Navy button. I hunted for about three hours without much to show for my efforts. I hit a reasonable signal along side a stream...not a great signal, but I figured worth a look.

At the bottom of the hole was an incredibly small coin. Thought it might be a trime...but seemed too small.

View attachment 2025794 View attachment 2025795

It wasn't until I got it home that I realized what I had found...a 1662 Massachusetts Oak Tree Twopence coin. Honestly, I didn't even know that they minted a two pence coin. Not sure what variety it is, so will need to do some research. Can't begin to describe how excited I am. This is my oldest coin, and I doubt I will ever find one older.

View attachment 2025796 View attachment 2025797 View attachment 2025798

This was literally the only coin I found after three hours of digging. You can see my other finds below. Thanks for taking a look. If anyone has any thoughts about the specific variety of the coin, please feel free to share. HH

View attachment 2025803

Wow...just...Wow amazing piece of history... Congratulations

 

[Winchester416]

Awesome! So awesome!

 

[Trezurehunter]

Outstanding find !

 

[ARC]

Update would be great OP if any... like... if you decided to send for grade or not.

 

[Silvermonkey]

Update would be great OP if any... like... if you decided to send for grade or not.

Thanks for the comment ARC. I opted to not pursue getting this coin graded. For me, its priceless, and will forever hold a place of honor in my collection. I can't see the day when I would choose to sell it. If that day ever comes, I will certainly need to go through the grading process...but not today or the forseeable future. HH.