罕見的 Rebellious 硬幣以創紀錄的 252 萬美元成交

三便士銀幣是在 1652 年殖民地鑄幣廠開業幾週後在波士頓鑄造的，而這距離十三個殖民地宣布脫離英國獨立還有一個多世紀。

A rare silver threepence coin minted in Boston just weeks after the opening of the colonial mint in 1652 has sold for a record-setting $2.52 million.

1652 年殖民地造幣廠開業幾週後，一枚在波士頓鑄造的稀有三便士銀幣以創紀錄的 252 萬美元成交。

The coin, which is about the size of a nickel, was discovered in a cabinet in the Netherlands in 2016, according to a statement from Stack’s Bowers Galleries, the auction house that sold the coin on November 19.

根據 11 月 19 日出售這枚硬幣的 Stack's Bowers Galleries 拍賣行的聲明，這枚硬幣大小約為 5 分鎳幣，於 2016 年在荷蘭的一個櫃子中被發現。

It was found in a pasteboard box with a note that read: “Silver token unknown / From Quincy Family / B. Ma. Dec, 1798,” CNN’s Issy Ronald reports.

它被發現在一個紙板盒中，上面有一張紙條，上面寫著：「銀幣未知/來自昆西家族/B. Ma。 1798 年 12 月，CNN 的 Issy Ronald 報告。

The coin was sold as part of the Bowers Brand Rarities Part II auction, which featured “important numismatic rarities from the colonial era through the 20th century,” according to the auction house.

據拍賣行稱，這枚硬幣是 Bowers Brand Rarities Part II 拍賣會的一部分，該拍賣會的特色是「從殖民時代到 20 世紀的重要錢幣珍品」。

One side of the coin bears a simple “NE” stamp to signify New England. The other side denotes its value in Roman numerals. It weighs just 1.1 grams, giving it a silver melt value of just $1.03.

硬幣的一面刻有簡單的“NE”印記，代表新英格蘭。另一邊用羅馬數字表示其值。它的重量僅為 1.1 克，銀的熔化價值僅為 1.03 美元。

The Boston mint likely only made coins in this style for a few months. Most have been lost to history, so private collectors rarely have an opportunity to buy one.

波士頓造幣廠可能只生產這種風格的硬幣幾個月。大多數都已消失在歷史中，因此私人收藏家很少有機會購買一件。

“This is one of the most important coins in all of American numismatics,” Stephanie Sabin, president of Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS), told Numismatic News’ Richard Giedroyc ahead of the auction. “The discovery of this outstanding specimen, 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.”

「這是美國錢幣學領域最重要的硬幣之一，」專業錢幣評級服務(PCGS) 總裁斯蒂芬妮·薩賓(Stephanie Sabin) 在拍賣前告訴錢幣新聞的理查德·吉德羅伊克(Richard Giedroyc)。 “這一傑出標本的發現可以追溯到波士頓歷史悠久的昆西家族，這意味著這一國寶幾代以來首次可供私人錢幣學家擁有。”

The company, which grades rare coins, conducted extensive research and testing to learn more about the coin. They confirmed its ties to the Quincy family, which included first lady Abigail Adams.

該公司對稀有硬幣進行評級，進行了廣泛的研究和測試，以了解有關硬幣的更多資訊。他們證實了它與昆西家族的聯繫，其中包括第一夫人阿比蓋爾·亞當斯。

In 1781, English coin collector Thomas Brand Hollis asked future president John Adams, then the American ambassador to the Netherlands, if he could help him acquire coins minted in New England, according to the auction house.

據拍賣行稱，1781 年，英國錢幣收藏家托馬斯·布蘭德·霍利斯(Thomas Brand Hollis) 詢問未來的總統、時任美國駐荷蘭大使約翰·亞當斯(John Adams) 是否可以幫助他購買在新英格蘭鑄造的硬幣。

Adams wrote to his wife and asked her to ship him “a few of the New England shillings. Pray send me half a dozen if you can procure them by different occasions.”

亞當斯寫信給他的妻子，請她寄給他「一些新英格蘭先令」。如果你能在不同的場合買到的話，請給我寄六打 ”

It’s not clear if the recently auctioned threepence was among those Adams sent across the Atlantic Ocean, but “the connection appears likely,” according to the auction house.

目前還不清楚最近拍賣的三便士是否是亞當斯跨越大西洋寄出的硬幣之一，但據拍賣行稱，「這種聯繫似乎很可能存在」。

Historians know the location of just one other New England threepence. It’s been in the Massachusetts Historical Society’s collection for the past 120 years, but it has a hole in it, according to the auction house.

歷史學家只知道另外一枚新英格蘭三便士的位置。過去 120 年來，它一直是馬薩諸塞州歷史學會的藏品，但據拍賣行稱，裡面有一個漏洞。

Yale University used to have one in its collection, but that coin was lost sometime before the middle of the 20th century.

耶魯大學曾經收藏過一枚硬幣，但這枚硬幣在 20 世紀中葉之前的某個時候丟失了。

The Boston Mint was run by two settlers, John Hull and Robert Sanderson. (Abigail’s great-grandfather was Hull’s stepbrother.)

波士頓造幣廠由兩位定居者約翰·赫爾和羅伯特·桑德森經營。 （阿比蓋爾的曾祖父是赫爾的繼兄弟。）

Boston authorities permitted Hull and Sanderson to set up the facility because the commercially successfully Massachusetts Bay Colony needed cash, according to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

據史密森尼美國國家歷史博物館稱，波士頓當局允許赫爾和桑德森建立該設施，因為商業成功的馬薩諸塞灣殖民地需要現金。

“An inadequate supply of money put [the colony’s] future development in jeopardy,” the museum notes. “England was not inclined to send gold and silver coins to the colonies, for they were in short supply in the mother country.”

「資金供應不足使[殖民地]的未來發展陷入危險，」博物館指出。 “英國不願意向殖民地送金銀幣，因為它們在母國供應短缺。”

In addition to silver threepences, the Boston mint also made sixpences and shillings in four different designs between 1652 and 1682.

除了三便士銀幣外，波士頓造幣廠還在 1652 年至 1682 年間鑄造了四種不同設計的六便士和先令。

The coins were used as currency not just in Massachusetts, but throughout the Northeast. The most famous and abundant are the pine tree shillings, which featured the image of one of the colony’s biggest exports: pine lumber for ships.

這些硬幣不僅在馬薩諸塞州而且在整個東北部都被用作貨幣。最著名和最豐富的是松樹先令，它的圖案是殖民地最大的出口產品之一：用於船舶的松木木材。

All of the coins made at the mint bore the same year, 1652, even if they were made later. Why? That year was in the middle of the Interregnum, a period when Britain was a republic without a king.

造幣廠鑄造的所有硬幣均刻有同一年份，即 1652 年，即使是較晚鑄造的。為什麼？那一年正值空位期中期，英國是一個沒有國王的共和國。

“In theory, these colonists had no right to strike their own coins, no matter how great their need,” the museum states. “The people in Massachusetts may have cleverly decided to put that date on their coinage so that they could deny any illegality when and if the monarchy were re-established.”

「理論上，這些殖民者無權鑄造自己的硬幣，無論他們的需求有多大，」博物館表示。 “馬薩諸塞州的人民可能聰明地決定將這個日期印在他們的硬幣上，這樣他們就可以在君主制重新建立時否認任何非法行為。”

Eventually, the monarchy was re-established, with Charles II becoming king in 1660. The mint closed in 1682 “after closer royal scrutiny of the operation,” according to the museum.

最終，君主制得以重建，查理二世於 1660 年成為國王。 據博物館稱，“在皇家對運作進行更嚴格的審查後”，造幣廠於 1682 年關閉。

The coin’s $2.52 million sale price set a new world record for an American coin made before the American Revolution, according to Stack’s Bowers Galleries. (The previous record holder sold for $646,250.)

據 Stack's Bowers Galleries 稱，這枚硬幣的售價為 252 萬美元，創下了美國獨立戰爭前製造的美國硬幣的新世界紀錄。 （之前的紀錄保持者售價為 646,250 美元。）

It also set a record for a non-gold United States coin struck before the founding of the U.S. Mint, the auction house says in a statement.

該拍賣行在聲明中表示，這也創下了美國造幣廠成立之前鑄造的美國非金幣的紀錄。