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3 Pence Oak Tree
| Issuer | Massachusetts Bay Colony |
|---|---|
| Year | 1660-1667 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Within a beaded inner circle, the date 1652 appears in the upper portion of the field and the Roman numeral denomination III is placed below it, indicating three pence. The outer legend NEW ENGLAND runs around the periphery outside the beaded circle. The lettering is crudely executed in the hammered tradition, with irregular character forms and uneven spacing consistent with colonial American mint production of the period. |
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| Mint | Boston Mint |
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| Additional information |
Massachusetts Bay Colony had no legal authority to strike coin — the Royal prerogative was unambiguous on that point — yet the General Court authorized a mint at Boston in 1652 anyway, citing the chronic shortage of small change crippling local trade. All pieces were dated 1652 regardless of actual striking year, a deliberate strategy to present the entire output as predating the Restoration and thus avoid direct confrontation with Charles II over the usurpation of minting rights.
John Hull held the mint contract and took one shilling in every twenty as his fee, a arrangement that made him one of the wealthiest men in the colony.