Colonial Acres Coins
SKU: SKU:Jun.DOD-N078
LC-54A 1813 Lower Canada Spread Eagle Halfpenny Token Very Fine (VF20) Old Cleaning
LC-54A 1813 Lower Canada Spread Eagle Halfpenny Token Very Fine (VF20) Old Cleaning
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LC-54A 1813 Lower Canada Spread Eagle Halfpenny Token Very Fine (VF20) Old Cleaning
Since their formation in the 18th century, the Canadian colonies under Britain had suffered a chronic shortage of small coins. The British did little to alleviate this, shipping occasional lots of worn-out coppers overseas that quickly dwindled as colonists struggled to do commerce. By 1820, any coin that was roughly the right size could pass for a halfpenny -- be it English, American, French, Spanish, or anything in between.
Enter: the bank token. While the British would not supply the needed coinage, banks -- including the Bank of Montreal, the City Bank, La Banque du Peuple, and the Quebec Bank -- were permitted to issue penny and halfpenny tokens that were similar in weight and size to British copper coins.
When the colonies united into the Province of Canada in 1858, the decimal system was adopted based on the American dollar. Tokens promptly died out. They remain interesting and sought-after collector's pieces!
Since their formation in the 18th century, the Canadian colonies under Britain had suffered a chronic shortage of small coins. The British did little to alleviate this, shipping occasional lots of worn-out coppers overseas that quickly dwindled as colonists struggled to do commerce. By 1820, any coin that was roughly the right size could pass for a halfpenny -- be it English, American, French, Spanish, or anything in between.
Enter: the bank token. While the British would not supply the needed coinage, banks -- including the Bank of Montreal, the City Bank, La Banque du Peuple, and the Quebec Bank -- were permitted to issue penny and halfpenny tokens that were similar in weight and size to British copper coins.
When the colonies united into the Province of Canada in 1858, the decimal system was adopted based on the American dollar. Tokens promptly died out. They remain interesting and sought-after collector's pieces!
