[music playing]
RICK: So I'm here in Boston because I found this person who
has a 1652 New England shilling--
literally the first coin ever minted in the Colonies.
So if I can pick this thing up, I could
make my own serious coinage.
[laughs]
You must be Ed.
EDWARD: Rick.
And that is it.
Of colonial coins, that's the holy grail.
These were the first coins struck in the Colonies.
They were really, really proud of it,
even though it's possibly the plainest coin ever made.
[laughter]
EDWARD: I have a 1652 New England silver shilling.
I found the coin about 30 years ago in the Boston area,
and recently I found out that it was
a very valuable and rare coin.
I've had it for a period of time,
and I just want to be able to share
it with somebody else who has the same interests that I do.
RICK: It's super, super cool.
In the 1650s, the Colonies still considered
themselves British subjects.
They just wanted a little bit more autonomy.
And this was sort of like saying, you know,
we're not completely independent from England
but kind of independent from England.
So this was sort of another step towards pissing off
the English.
[laughter]
All right.
Yeah, I mean, it's pretty amazing it hasn't been clipped.
You never see old coins complete like this
because people would go and they would clip a teeny bit off.
The next one, file a little bit off.
Next one, file a little bit off.
And next thing you know, they have
two shillings worth of silver.
But the problem was, is that eventually there'd
be next to no coin left.
That's why Sir Isaac Newton invented
the reeded edge on a coin.
It's in awfully good shape.
RICK: We got NE there for New England,
and we have a 12 on the back of it.
What's the 12 for?
I would say 12 pence?
OK, that's what a shilling is.
Yeah, all right.
I'm just shocked to see it.
God, it's in great shape.
In the coin collecting world, it's one of the big ones.
So, here's the big question.
What do you want for this thing?
Well, I've seen it at auction anywhere between $250,000,
upwards of $400,000.
So, I think that's a good starting point.
Yeah, but you didn't give me a starting point.
[laughter]
So how about $300,000?
OK.
Um, what about $225,000?
I don't know if I'd want to go that low.
Can we meet at $250,000?
It's just in really great shape.
And at $250,000, I still make some money.
So we've got a deal.
- All right. - All right.
Appreciate you coming in, Rick.
So, I was very happy to make the sale today.
And with the money, my wife's been pestering me to get out
of the cold New England winters, so maybe I'll buy a second home
in a warmer climate.