1652 年新英格蘭三便士，第一系列美國硬幣的一部分，在幾個世紀後浮出水面

自內戰之前以來，1652 年新英格蘭三便士就被美國收藏家視為最稀有的殖民地硬幣。

The single rarest colonial coin among American collectors since before the Civil War is the 1652 New England threepence. Only one specimen was known, locked away in the Massachusetts Historical Society since 1905, making the unique NE threepence utterly non-collectible. A second specimen, once in the Yale Cabinet, was stolen decades ago and never recovered.

自內戰之前以來，美國收藏家中最稀有的殖民地硬幣是 1652 年的新英格蘭三便士。目前已知的標本只有一枚，自 1905 年以來一直被鎖在馬薩諸塞州歷史學會中，使得這枚獨特的 NE 三便士硬幣完全不具收藏價值。第二個標本曾在耶魯大學內閣中，幾十年前被盜，再也沒有找回來。

None have been in a private collection since the death of William Sumner Appleton in 1903, but collectors will now have the opportunity to acquire a newly discovered specimen in the November 2024 Stack’s Bowers Galleries auction.

自1903 年威廉·薩姆納·阿普爾頓(William Sumner Appleton) 去世以來，沒有一件標本被私人收藏，但收藏家現在將有機會在2024 年11 月的Stack's Bowers Galleries 拍賣會上獲得新發現的標本。

Recently authenticated by PCGS and graded EF-45, this new coin is clearly the finest extant example, sharper than the holed Massachusetts Historical Society coin. It was initially discovered in an antique cabinet among a handful of other U.S. colonial coins in the Netherlands in 2016, though not actually identified as a NE threepence until 2020.

這枚新硬幣最近經過 PCGS 認證，評級為 EF-45，顯然是現存最好的硬幣，比馬薩諸塞州歷史學會的有孔硬幣更鋒利。它最初於 2016 年在荷蘭的一個古董櫃中與其他幾枚美國殖民地硬幣一起被發現，但直到 2020 年才真正確認為 NE 三便士。

“Lots of coins get called important,” said Stacks Bowers Galleries’ Director of Numismatic Americana, John Kraljevich. “It’s hard to imagine anything more important than the discovery of a famous rarity, part of the first series of American coins ever made, that actually allows a collector to own a previously unobtainable type.”

「很多錢幣都被認為很重要，」Stacks Bowers 畫廊的美國錢幣總監 John Kraljevich 說。 “很難想像還有什麼比發現一種著名的稀有硬幣更重要的了，它是美國第一批硬幣系列的一部分，它實際上讓收藏家能夠擁有一種以前無法獲得的硬幣。”

New England shillings, sixpence, and threepence were struck in Boston at the first American mint, founded by the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1652 and operated by silversmiths John Hull and Robert Sanderson.

新英格蘭先令、六便士和三便士是在波士頓第一家美國鑄幣廠鑄造的，該鑄幣廠由馬薩諸塞灣殖民地於1652 年建立，由銀匠約翰·赫爾(John Hull) 和羅伯特·桑德森(Robert Sanderson) 經營。

While Willow Tree, Oak Tree, and Pine Tree coins were struck with 1652 dates until 1682, the original NE coins — displaying only the initials NE for New England on the obverse and the denomination in pence on the reverse — were struck for only a few months of 1652.

柳樹、橡樹和松樹硬幣的鑄造日期為 1652 年至 1682 年，而最初的 NE 硬幣（正面僅顯示新英格蘭的首字母 NE，背面顯示便士面額）的鑄造價格僅為少數1652 年的幾個月。

“As the very first American coins, NE shillings, sixpence, and threepence see a high level of demand and sell for dramatically high prices to well-heeled, historically minded collectors,” noted Stack’s Bowers Galleries Vice President Vicken Yegparian. “The record for an NE coin is $646,250, but we expect this piece to handily exceed that level.”

Stack's Bowers Galleries 副總裁 Vicken Yegparian 表示：“作為最早的美國硬幣，新先令、六便士和三便士的需求量很大，並以極高的價格出售給富有且具有歷史意識的收藏家。” “NE 幣的記錄是 646,250 美元，但我們預計這枚幣將輕鬆超過該水平。”

The newly discovered coin’s provenance is traced to Boston’s Quincy family, who were prominent participants in Massachusetts politics throughout the colonial era. First Lady Abigail Adams was a Quincy.

這枚新發現的硬幣的出處可以追溯到波士頓的昆西家族，他們是整個殖民時代馬薩諸塞州政治的傑出參與者。第一夫人阿比蓋爾·亞當斯是昆西家族的一員。

In fact, future President John Adams wrote to Abigail from Amsterdam in 1781 to request “a few of the New England shillings. Pray send me, half a dozen if you can procure them by different Occasions,” in response to well known English numismatist Thomas Brand Hollis’ request for an NE shilling.

事實上，未來的總統約翰·亞當斯 (John Adams) 於 1781 年從阿姆斯特丹寫信給阿比蓋爾，請求「一些新英格蘭先令」。如果你能在不同的場合買到的話，請寄給我六打”，這是對英國著名錢幣學家托馬斯·布蘭德·霍利斯 (Thomas Brand Hollis) 的 NE 先令的回應。

It’s unknown if this coin came via Adams, but the connection appears likely.

目前尚不清楚這枚硬幣是否來自亞當斯，但似乎有可能存在關聯。

The Yale University specimen, lost before the mid 20th century, was illustrated in a 19th century woodcut as having a planchet split above E of NE that was also visible at the base of the reverse. No rumor of its existence has been heard since before a major 1965 burglary at Yale focused attention on its collection; several curators and researchers at the time confirmed the Yale threepence was long gone by then.

耶魯大學的標本在 20 世紀中葉之前遺失，在 19 世紀的木刻中被描繪為在東東和東北上方有一個木板裂開，在背面的底部也可以看到。自從 1965 年耶魯大學發生一起重大入室盜竊案之後，就再也沒有聽過關於它存在的傳聞。當時的幾位策展人和研究人員證實，耶魯大學三便士早已不復存在。

This new 1652 New England threepence will be a featured highlight of the Stack’s Bowers Galleries November 2024 Showcase Auction, held in conjunction with the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Winter Expo in Baltimore.

這款全新 1652 年新英格蘭三便士將成為 Stack's Bowers Galleries 2024 年 11 月展示拍賣會的一大亮點，該拍賣會與巴爾的摩惠特曼硬幣和收藏品冬季博覽會同期舉行。

Ahead of the sale, this treasure will also be on display at the firm’s Boston gallery during the month of September to commemorate the first striking of NE silver coins in Boston in September 1652.

在拍賣之前，這件珍品還將在 9 月在該公司的波士頓畫廊展出，以紀念 1652 年 9 月在波士頓首次鑄造 NE 銀幣。

To consign your coins alongside this historic rarity or for questions about the sale, contact Stack’s Bowers Galleries at Consign@StacksBowers.com or 800.566.2580.

要將您的硬幣與這種歷史稀有的硬幣一起寄售，或者對銷售有疑問，請透過 Consign@StacksBowers.com 或 800.566.2580 聯絡 Stack's Bowers Galleries。