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3 Pence - Willow Tree
| Issuer | Massachusetts Bay Colony |
|---|---|
| Year | 1653-1660 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | MASATHVSETS. IN. |
| Reverse description | The reverse displays the date 1652 prominently in the central field, below which appears the denomination numeral III, all set within an inner beaded border. The static date 1652 was retained throughout the entire production period of this series, regardless of actual striking year, as mandated by colonial coinage ordinance. The surrounding peripheral legend reads NEWENGLAND. AN. in Roman capitals, partially obscured by the irregular shape of the flan. The overall die workmanship is crude and primitive, consistent with the earliest American colonial silver coinage produced at the Boston Mint under John Hull and Robert Sanderson. |
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| Additional information |
The Willow Tree coinage was Massachusetts Bay Colony's first attempt at a local silver currency, authorized in 1652 despite English law reserving coinage rights to the Crown — a defiance the Colony quietly justified by dating every piece 1652 regardless of actual striking year. The primitive, almost shapeless tree punch reflects the limited tool-making capacity of silversmith John Hull's Pine Street mint in Boston. Hull retained one shilling in every twenty as his personal fee, a arrangement that made him one of the wealthiest men in colonial New England. The Willow Tree series was replaced by the Oak Tree type by around 1660, making its production window among the shortest in the colonial series.