An American silver coin dating back to the 17th century, before the United States was founded, has sold for a record-breaking $2.52 million at auction, eight years after it was discovered in an old cabinet in Amsterdam.

Before serving as the second president of the United States, John Adams was also the fledgling country’s first ambassador to The Netherlands. New England threepence coins are exceedingly rare – the only other known example has been in the care of the ...

An extremely rare 17th century coin owned by Founding Father John Adams' family has sold for $2.52 million. The silver threepence coin minted in 1652 set a new world record for a coin auction on Monday.