A rare colonial coin from 1652 could be worth $1 million — there's still one that hasn't been found

Collecting coins isn't an uncommon hobby, but there's always a chance of finding a rare one that could be worth a fortune. One such coin, which is among the rarest and most important in all of American numismatics, will be up for sale in November. The colonial coin called the 1652 New England threepence is expected to fetch more than a million dollars at an auction held by Stack’s Bowers Galleries in Boston. Only three such coins are known to exist, one of which was stolen years ago and has not been seen since, as per CoinWorld. 

Single-Rarest American Colonial Coin

It came into existence during the English Civil War, when colonists in Boston seized an opportunity to create their own currency. They established a mint in 1652 in downtown Boston which was the first in New England and the second in North America. Only three silver coins were minted there, a threepence, a sixpence, and a shilling.

The original designs were used for just a few months, and only a limited number of coins were minted. Almost none of the coins were believed to have survived except for two. One has been tucked away in the collection of the Massachusetts Historical Society since 1905, and the other was stolen from Yale University’s collection in the mid-20th century, never to be found.

However, in a remarkable discovery, a third 1652 New England threepence coin was found in a Dutch collection in 2016. The coin was identified in 2020, and bought by the Stack’s Bowers Galleries from the store in the Netherlands.

The Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) recently graded the only privately held 1652 New England threepence, calling it the single-rarest American colonial coin. The coin was graded at Extremely Fine 45 after its recent discovery, as per CoinWorld.

Now it is set to go up in the November 2024 Showcase Auction, where it is expected to fetch a historic sum.

Discovery of a Lifetime

The coin was stamped at Hull Mint in 1652 and nothing is known about its original owner. However, Stanley Chu, store manager at Stack's Bowers Galleries told CBS affiliate WBZ-TV that it is believed to have been in the possession of Boston's historic Quincy family.

“This is one of the most important coins in all of American numismatics,” PCGS President Stephanie Sabin told CoinWorld, before adding that for more than a century the coin was known to be entirely unobtainable for private collectors. “It was an honor to grade this coin, protecting it for future generations before it heads to auction this autumn," Sabin mentioned further.

The last time a 1652 New England threepence was held in a private numismatic collection was in the early 1900s. It was owned by Boston Scholar William Sumner Appleton and it was given to the Massachusetts Historical Society after his death in 1903.  Furthermore, Chu shared that the coin is also the most pristine of its kind. It somehow stayed in immaculate condition for hundreds of years, safe from wear and tear. The other coin at the Massachusetts Historical Society has a hole through it, thus, the newest find is estimated to be worth much more.

Chu noted that there are two distinct features engraved or embossed on the coin that make it special. There is an 'N-E' symbolizing New England, and on the back, the Roman numeral three can be seen, indicating that itis a threepence. Thus, the auction of the coin with unparalleled rarity is expected to draw interest in the global numismatic community and beyond.