1662 Oak Tree Twopence. Noe-31.5, Salmon 1-A, W-240. Rarity-6. Small 2. VF-35 (PCGS).

In our (Stack's) 2002 Hain sale, Mike Hodder noted that "we have seen only four examples" of this die state, in which a break extends beyond the 2 of the date to the top of the first 6, mangling the digits and making the date look like a misshapen 1672. Another was seen in our (Stack's) May 1991 Picker sale as lot 11 and, most recently, we sold the Kendall Foundation specimen (also PCGS VF-35) for $2,585 in our March 2015 Baltimore Auction. While a few more examples have been confirmed since Hodder's statement more than two decades ago, explaining the modern Rarity-6 assessment, the Noe-31.5 Oak Tree twopence remains elusive with market appearances even more so. This handsome piece sports blended deep steel-gray and charcoal patina, the surfaces pleasingly smooth during in hand viewing. Close inspection shows just a touch of granularity, the reverse also with several tiny marks scattered about. Obverse impression off center to 7 o'clock, the peripheral letters at lower left running off the flan; the reverse is better centered, although the border on that side is into the tops of the letters. All elements of the tree are discernible, if weak toward the roots, denomination II bold, date discernible but weak due to the advanced die state and the presence of a few marks in that area.

PCGS# 17. NGC ID: 2ARD.