Colonial and pre-confederation tokens of Canada
The metallic currency in circulation consisted mainly of British and foreign coins (French, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese and American), many so worn as to be almost unidentifiable. At this time several merchants began to issue copper tokens to meet the need for small change. Furthermore, extensive quantities of low-denomination tokens were imported from England by merchants hoping to facilitate business in the colonies and make a profit on the tokens. Some of these tokens were anonymous, that is, they did not indicate the name of the merchant who had imported them, while others carried the name of the merchant.
This section presents different colonial and pre-confederation tokens of Canada. The links below will guide you to the description and characteristics of these types of tokens and see various errors, varieties and values.
Blacksmith
Balance and Plow, Britannia and Peck's Patent, Bust and Harp, Bust and Harp imitations, Crude Bust and Britannia, Daniel and Benjamin, Double Crude Heads, Double Eagle, Eagle and Head, Eagle and Machine Shop, Eagle and Peck's Patent, Faceless Laureate Bust, George III and Britannia, George III and Harp, Harp and Ships, Colonies & Commerce, Head and Dot, Horned Bust Uniface, Incomplete Head, Large Head, Laureate and Britannia, Machine Shop, Machine Shop and Head, Mexican Bouquet, Riseing Sun and Head, Ships, Colonies & Commerce, Sloop and Shovel, Tiffin imitations, Union Jack and Anchor, Warehouse, Windmill and Tavern
French Regime
Colonies Francoises, Louis XV
Lower Canada
Bouquet, Bust and Harp, Commerce, Commercial Change, Devins & Bolton, Duncan & Company, Facilitate trade, Francis Mullins & Son, J. Shaw, J.H. Roy, Magdalen Island, Montreal, Public accomodation, R.W. Owen, Richard Hurd, Seated Justice, Ship, Ships, colonies & commerce, Spread Eagle, T. Duseaman, T.S. Brown & Company, Thomas Halliday, Thos. & Wm. Molson, Victoria
New Brunswick
Frances McDermott, Provincial Government, Public accomodation, St. John's
Newfoundland
Fishery rights, Peter McAuslan, Rutherford Brothers, Ship
Nova Scotia
Broke, Carritt & Alport, Commercial change, Counterfeit, Genuine British Copper, H, Halifax, Hosterman & Etter, J. Brown, John Alexr. Barry, Nova Scotia, Ship, Starr & Shannon, Success, Success to Navigation, Trade & Navigation, W. White, W.A. & S. Black, W.L. White, Warehouse, Wholesale Retail Hardware
Prince Edward Island
Duncan & Company, E.L. Lydiard, George Davies, James Duncan & Co., James Millner, Public accomodation, Ships, colonies & commerce
Upper Canada
Commercial Change, Facilitate Trade, John Walker & Co., Lesslie & Sons, Perrins Bros., Sir Isaac Brook, Success to Commerce
Wellington
1 penny 1813, Ciudad, Commerce, Cossack, Cuidad, Hibernia, Marshall, Salamanca, Trade & Commerce, Vittoria, Waterloo
Miscellaneous and unclassified
Anchor Money, British Colonies, Halla Andrews, Hibernia, Ireland, L. Gnaedinger, Son & Company, Maysenholder & Bohle, North west company, Playing cards, Success to Trade
You can also find colonial Canadian tokens in the following:
- Banks tokens of Canada (Province of Canada)
- Transportation tokens