FLOAT
Massachusetts Willow Tree shilling, dated 1652 (struck c. 1653-1660) — the National Museum of American History's exhibited example, not the NGC VF35 Salmon 2-A specimen the FLOAT constituent is priced on.
Massachusetts Willow Tree shilling, dated 1652 (struck c. 1653-1660) — the National Museum of American History's exhibited example, not the NGC VF35 Salmon 2-A specimen the FLOAT constituent is priced on.

1652 Willow Tree Shilling

Maker
Massachusetts Bay Colony (Boston mint, John Hull)
Year
1652 (struck c.1653-60)
Rank
71 of 100
Identifier
Massachusetts silver shilling, Willow Tree, Salmon/Noe variety, NGC VF35

1652 Willow Tree Shilling

Realized at auction: $156,000, dated 2022-08. This is a realized sale. Somebody paid it.

What is it, and why is it in the FLOAT 100?

The earliest and rarest of the Massachusetts tree-coinage shillings — the crude Willow Tree precedes the Oak and Pine Tree types.

Massachusetts silver shilling, Willow Tree, Salmon/Noe variety, NGC VF35

What is the best-sourced number for it?

Figure
$156,000
Kind
Realized at auction
Date
2022-08

A realized auction price is what a buyer actually paid on the date shown, including the buyer's premium where the sale reported it. It is the strongest kind of reference price, and it is a record of one sale of one object on one day, not a promise of what the next example will bring.

By reference price, 1652 Willow Tree Shilling is number 63 of 100 in the coins entries of the FLOAT 100. 92 of those 100 rest on a realized sale; the rest carry an asking price or a guide value, and each page says which. Rank within the FLOAT 100 itself (71 here) is editorial: how much an object defines its field, not price alone.

How this is made

The figure
One reference price, shown with its own kind. FLOAT does not average it with anything or adjust it for time.
Realized or not
A realized price is a completed sale. A market asking price and a price-guide value are not sales, and are labeled as such wherever they appear.
Why no grade ladder
Most FLOAT 100 entries are individual objects. There is one of this, so there is no population and no spread across grades to show.
Archive
2026-08-08

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FLOAT is a free tracker. Add the coins you own, keep photos and certificates with each item, and see a value built from real sales at your item's grade. This page is a public reference; it does not offer, price or sell insurance.