How to Identify the Pine Tree Shilling
Colonial Massachusetts Bay silver coinage bearing a stylized pine tree, all dated 1652 regardless of actual striking year, and hand-struck with irregular, often off-center planchets.
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What It Is
The Pine Tree Shilling was struck by the Massachusetts Bay Colony mint in Boston, part of a series that also included earlier Willow Tree and Oak Tree types, all sharing the fictional 1652 date regardless of when they were actually struck (production continued for roughly three decades). This dating trick was reportedly used to sidestep English royal restrictions on colonial coinage by implying the coins predated a Crown prohibition.
Obverse Design & Inscriptions
The obverse shows a stylized pine tree within a beaded or dotted circular border, with the legend "MASATHVSETS IN" (an abbreviated period spelling of Massachusetts) around the rim.
Reverse Design & Inscriptions
The reverse carries the date "1652," the denomination "XII" (for 12 pence, i.e., one shilling), and the words "NEW ENGLAND AN DOM" abbreviated around the border, again within a beaded circle.
Size, Weight, Metal & Edge
The coin is silver, with a shilling-sized diameter and weight consistent with English shilling standards of the period, though hand-struck examples often show noticeable weight and thickness variation from piece to piece. Edges are not machine-milled; most were struck as plain, hand-cut planchets, though some later varieties show experimental edge treatments intended to deter clipping.
Mint Marks & Where to Find Them
There is no separate mint-mark letter; the entire coin itself functions as the identifying mark of the Boston mint, since Massachusetts Bay was the only English colony producing this specific tree-type silver coinage.
Telling It Apart From Similar Coins
The Pine Tree Shilling is often confused with its predecessor types, the Oak Tree and Willow Tree shillings, all part of the same broader Massachusetts series. The distinguishing feature is the tree style itself: the pine tree has a distinctive triangular, layered branch silhouette, differing noticeably from the rounder, bushier oak tree or the thinner, drooping willow tree designs used in earlier striking periods.
Judging Condition at a Glance
Because these coins were hand-struck with simple screw presses or hammers, off-center strikes, weak areas, and planchet irregularities are common even on coins with little actual circulation wear, so distinguishing striking flaws from genuine wear requires comparing the sharpness of the tree's branches and the legend letters across the whole coin rather than judging from a single weak spot. Well-preserved examples show a clear, well-centered tree and fully legible lettering.
Authenticity Red Flags
Because Pine Tree Shillings are highly collectible, both antique and modern counterfeits are well documented. Red flags include a weight or diameter that does not match genuine specifications, a suspiciously modern-looking uniform strike (genuine coins usually show some hand-struck irregularity), incorrect lettering or spelling that does not match documented genuine dies, and a color or surface texture inconsistent with aged silver. Given the value involved, expert examination is strongly recommended before relying on a visual assessment alone.
Frequently asked questions
Why do all Pine Tree Shillings show the date 1652?
The Massachusetts Bay mint kept using the 1652 date for roughly three decades of production, reportedly to suggest the coins predated an English Crown restriction on colonial coinage, even though many were struck well after that year.
How do I tell a Pine Tree Shilling from an Oak Tree or Willow Tree shilling?
Compare the tree design: the pine tree has a distinctive triangular, layered branch pattern, while the oak tree is rounder and bushier and the willow tree is thinner with drooping branches.
Why do these coins often look off-center or irregular?
They were hand-struck using simple presses on hand-cut planchets, so off-center strikes and weight variation are common even on genuine, lightly circulated examples.
Is a weak spot on the coin always a sign of wear?
Not necessarily; hand-striking often left weak or flat areas even on coins with little actual circulation, so compare detail sharpness across the whole coin before concluding it is heavily worn.