Massachusetts Silver Coins (1652-1662)

About This Series

The first coins struck in British North America, Massachusetts silver was produced at the Hull Mint in Boston from 1652 under authorization from the Massachusetts General Court — implicitly defying the English Crown's coinage prerogative. Mintmaster John Hull and partner Robert Sanderson received one shilling of every twenty as compensation. Four design types progress through the series: the NE (New England) punch-marked pieces, Willow Tree (c. 1653-1660), Oak Tree (c. 1660-1667), and Pine Tree (c. 1667-1682) coins, all bearing the frozen date 1652 to maintain the fiction that coining began during Oliver Cromwell's Commonwealth period. Denominations include threepence, sixpence, and shillings in sterling silver (.925 fine). The Pine Tree shilling became a symbol of Massachusetts colonial identity. Silver was supplied by merchants bringing foreign coins for recoining at a colonial standard deliberately set lighter than the English standard to discourage export of the coins overseas.

Series Information