1652 年新英格兰三便士，第一系列美国硬币的一部分，在几个世纪后浮出水面

自内战之前以来，1652 年新英格兰三便士就被美国收藏家视为最稀有的殖民地硬币。

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.

自内战之前以来，美国收藏家中最稀有的殖民地硬币是 1652 年的新英格兰三便士。目前已知的标本只有一枚，自 1905 年以来一直被锁在马萨诸塞州历史学会中，使得这枚独特的 NE 三便士硬币完全不具收藏价值。第二个标本曾在耶鲁大学内阁中，几十年前被盗，再也没有找回。

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·萨姆纳·阿普尔顿 (William Sumner Appleton) 去世以来，没有一件标本被私人收藏，但收藏家现在将有机会在 2024 年 11 月的 Stack's Bowers Galleries 拍卖会上获得新发现的标本。

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.

这枚新硬币最近经过 PCGS 认证，评级为 EF-45，显然是现存最好的硬币，比马萨诸塞州历史学会的有孔硬币更锋利。它最初于 2016 年在荷兰的一个古董柜中与其他几枚美国殖民地硬币一起被发现，但直到 2020 年才被真正确认为 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.”

“很多钱币都被认为很重要，”Stacks Bowers 画廊的美国钱币总监 John Kraljevich 说道。 “很难想象还有什么比发现一种著名的稀有硬币更重要的了，它是美国第一批硬币系列的一部分，它实际上让收藏家能够拥有一种以前无法获得的硬币。”

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.

新英格兰先令、六便士和三便士是在波士顿第一家美国铸币厂铸造的，该铸币厂由马萨诸塞湾殖民地于 1652 年建立，由银匠约翰·赫尔 (John Hull) 和罗伯特·桑德森 (Robert Sanderson) 经营。

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.

柳树、橡树和松树硬币的铸造日期为 1652 年至 1682 年，而最初的 NE 硬币（正面仅显示新英格兰的首字母 NE，背面显示便士面额）的铸造价格仅为少数1652 年的几个月。

“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 副总裁 Vicken Yegparian 表示：“作为最早的美国硬币，新先令、六便士和三便士的需求量很大，并以极高的价格出售给富有且具有历史意识的收藏家。” “NE 币的记录是 646,250 美元，但我们预计这枚币将轻松超过该水平。”

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.

这枚新发现的硬币的出处可以追溯到波士顿的昆西家族，他们是整个殖民时代马萨诸塞州政治的杰出参与者。第一夫人阿比盖尔·亚当斯是昆西家族的一员。

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.

事实上，未来的总统约翰·亚当斯 (John Adams) 于 1781 年从阿姆斯特丹写信给阿比盖尔，请求“一些新英格兰先令”。如果你能在不同的场合买到的话，请寄给我六打”，这是对英国著名钱币学家托马斯·布兰德·霍利斯 (Thomas Brand Hollis) 的 NE 先令的回应。

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

目前尚不清楚这枚硬币是否来自亚当斯，但似乎有可能存在联系。

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.

耶鲁大学的标本在 20 世纪中叶之前丢失，在 19 世纪的木刻中被描绘为在东东和东北上方有一个木板裂开，在背面的底部也可以看到。自从 1965 年耶鲁大学发生一起重大入室盗窃案以来，就再也没有听到过关于它存在的传言；此后，它的藏品成为人们关注的焦点。当时的几位策展人和研究人员证实，耶鲁大学三便士早已不复存在。

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.

这款全新 1652 年新英格兰三便士将成为 Stack's Bowers Galleries 2024 年 11 月展示拍卖会的一大亮点，该拍卖会与巴尔的摩惠特曼硬币和收藏品冬季博览会同期举行。

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.

在拍卖之前，这件珍品还将在 9 月份在该公司的波士顿画廊展出，以纪念 1652 年 9 月在波士顿首次铸造 NE 银币。

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.

要将您的硬币与这种历史稀有的硬币一起寄售，或者对销售有疑问，请通过 Consign@StacksBowers.com 或 800.566.2580 联系 Stack's Bowers Galleries。