Editor Christopher R. McDowell writes:

The 1776 dated Pine Tree copper of Massachusetts has been a numismatic mystery since it was first discovered in the mid-nineteenth century. Studyof the Pine Tree copper along with the design-linked "Indian" and "Janus" coppers has suffered from a lack of contemporary documentation ofproduction.

In recent years, there have been unpublished rumors and skepticism concerning the origins of these coins. The purpose of this paper is tointroduce a contemporary newspaper account supporting the existence of the Pine Tree copper in 1776. Furthermore, there will be a discussion andinvestigation of the early provenance of the 1776 Pine Tree copper in order to restore it to its rightful place as a quintessential AmericanColonial-era coin.

In this analysis, the focus will be on the 1776 Pine Tree copper coin. This coin, however, cannot be properly examined without also looking at theJanus and the Indian coppers as the origin of all three coins is most likely the same Boston workshop in the summer of 1776.

The three coins of the Massachusetts copper series of 1776, each presently unique, have been linked by associated reverse designs of a "Goddess ofLiberty" figure. The coins also share a similar appearance in die preparation, placement of design and legends, as well as apparent mintingstandards. Several scholars in the past have agreed that these coins were produced at the same minting establishment.

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