Compiled by: Emili TK
A rare 17th-century American silver coin, minted before the founding of the United States, has shattered auction records by selling for $2.52 million. The coin, discovered in an old cabinet in Amsterdam eight years ago, dates back to 1652 and was struck in Boston just weeks after the first mint in the then-British colony opened.
The threepence coin, about the size of a nickel and with a silver value of only $1.03 in today’s market, is the most expensive non-gold U.S. coin produced before the establishment of the United States Mint, according to Stack’s Bowers Galleries, which handled the sale.
A Cabinet Discovery with Historic Significance
The coin was unearthed in 2016 in the Netherlands, stored in a pasteboard box labeled simply: “Silver token unknown/ From Quincy Family/B. Ma. Dec, 1798.” At the time, its owner was unaware of its historic significance. Only after extensive research, testing, and comparison with another surviving specimen was the coin’s importance verified by the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS).
The Boston Mint struck these coins in defiance of British authority, reflecting New England’s growing desire for economic independence, according to the Massachusetts Historical Society. Coins of this type, distinguishable by their simple “NE” stamp for New England on one side and their Roman numeral value on the other, were likely minted for only a few months in 1652, making them exceptionally rare.
Historical and Cultural Legacy
By 1798, these coins had already become prized possessions among collectors. During the American Revolution, they gained popularity even in England. In 1781, English collector Thomas Brand Hollis sought assistance from John Adams, then the U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands, to procure one of these coins. Adams in turn asked his wife, Abigail, whose great-grandfather was the stepbrother of John Hull, the silversmith responsible for minting the coins.
Today, only one other threepence coin of this type is known to exist, held in the Massachusetts Historical Society’s collection. A third specimen, stolen from Yale College before the 1960s, remains missing.
The Record-Breaking Sale
This particular coin sparked a heated, 12-minute bidding war during the auction. Auctioneer Ben Orooji described it as “an exhilarating ride and a career highlight.” The final sale price exceeded the presale estimate by more than threefold.
Other rare American coins have also achieved staggering sums at auction. A 1794 silver dollar, believed to be one of the first coins minted by the United States Mint, sold for $10 million in 2013. Similarly, a 1933 “Double Eagle” gold coin fetched $18.9 million in 2021, making it one of the most valuable coins ever sold.
