Colonial Acres Coins
SKU: SKU:Mar.Week1.P1-KB0807
Group Lot of 20x Canada Bank Tokens, Poor to Fine, 20pcs (Impaired)
Group Lot of 20x Canada Bank Tokens, Poor to Fine, 20pcs (Impaired)
Regular price
$78.95
Regular price
$151.00
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$78.95
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Group Lot of 20x Canada Bank Tokens, Poor to Fine, 20pcs (Impaired)
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!
This lot of twenty bank tokens includes a few different examples, mostly from Lower Canada circa 1812. History has loved them well; they are worn from years of use and display many imperfections. Please see images for a complete inventory of what you will receive.
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!
This lot of twenty bank tokens includes a few different examples, mostly from Lower Canada circa 1812. History has loved them well; they are worn from years of use and display many imperfections. Please see images for a complete inventory of what you will receive.
