{"product_id":"r285","title":"PC-5A 1850 Province of Canada Upper Canada Halfpenny Token Extra Fine (EF40) cleaned","description":"PC-5A 1850 Province of Canada Bank of Upper Canada Halfpenny Token Extra Fine (EF40) cleaned\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSince 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEnter: 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 1858, the Province of Canada adopted a new currency based on the decimal system of the American dollar (as opposed to pounds and shillings, like Britain). Tokens promptly died out. They remain interesting and sought-after collector's pieces!","brand":"Colonial Acres Coins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53373586276641,"sku":"Sept.DOD-R285","price":9.95,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0679\/1744\/7457\/files\/R285.jpg?v=1787752110","url":"https:\/\/www.colonialacres.com\/products\/r285","provider":"Colonial Acres Coins","version":"1.0","type":"link"}