Colonial Acres Coins
SKU: SKU:Sept.DOD-R284
LC-15A1 (1832) Lower Canada T.S. Brown & Co. Halfpenny Token Very Fine (VF20) corrosion
LC-15A1 (1832) Lower Canada T.S. Brown & Co. Halfpenny Token Very Fine (VF20) corrosion
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LC-15A1 (1832) Lower Canada T.S. Brown & Co. Halfpenny Token Very Fine (VF20) corrosion
In December of 1837 and continuing into 1838, the Société des Fils de la Liberté ("Society of the Sons of Liberty," after the American revolutionary group) staged a series of violent rebellions against the Crown and the status quo. Their goal was the adoption of "mixed monarchy" -- that is, a collaboration between Crown, democracy, and "aristocracy," which didn't really exist in colonial Canada and was, in practice, more a loose collection of industrial and institutional oligarchs. The rebellions were eventually put down, and participants were tried for insurrection. They did, however, succeed in bringing attention to more moderate voices of reform, and the outcome was indeed political reform. Part of this reform was the merging of Upper and Lower Canada into a singular political unit, the Province of Canada, in 1840.
Merchant tokens like this one were common in the early 19th century. Coinage was becoming increasingly scarce in far-flung British colonies, and the only real solution was for the colonies to produce whatever stand-ins they could for real coins. Individuals, businesses, and banks all produced unofficial tokens that could circulate like money. This one is special because it was produced by Thomas Storrow Brown, a hardware merchant based in Montreal. Brown was one of the leaders of the Fils de la Liberté, and after the rebellion was squashed, he fled to the United States and lived there until he was granted amnesty in 1844.
In December of 1837 and continuing into 1838, the Société des Fils de la Liberté ("Society of the Sons of Liberty," after the American revolutionary group) staged a series of violent rebellions against the Crown and the status quo. Their goal was the adoption of "mixed monarchy" -- that is, a collaboration between Crown, democracy, and "aristocracy," which didn't really exist in colonial Canada and was, in practice, more a loose collection of industrial and institutional oligarchs. The rebellions were eventually put down, and participants were tried for insurrection. They did, however, succeed in bringing attention to more moderate voices of reform, and the outcome was indeed political reform. Part of this reform was the merging of Upper and Lower Canada into a singular political unit, the Province of Canada, in 1840.
Merchant tokens like this one were common in the early 19th century. Coinage was becoming increasingly scarce in far-flung British colonies, and the only real solution was for the colonies to produce whatever stand-ins they could for real coins. Individuals, businesses, and banks all produced unofficial tokens that could circulate like money. This one is special because it was produced by Thomas Storrow Brown, a hardware merchant based in Montreal. Brown was one of the leaders of the Fils de la Liberté, and after the rebellion was squashed, he fled to the United States and lived there until he was granted amnesty in 1844.
