LC-10B1 1839 Lower Canada "Side View" Bank of Montreal Half Penny Token ICCS Cert. F-12

LC-10B1 1839 Lower Canada Bank of Montreal Half Penny Token ICCS Certified F-12

During the early 19th century, Canada faced a shortage of small change, which lead to private banks issuing their own coinage in the form of private bank tokens. Established in 1817, the Bank of Montreal was one of Canada's earliest and most influential banks. In 1838, the Bank of Montreal replaced the Habitant tokens with a new issue showing a corner or side view of the bank building on the obverse. These tokens were short lived, as the bank manager did not like their workmanship or weight, and thus the shipment was returned to England for melting.

Obverse: Side view of the Bank of Montreal building.
Reverse: The Coat of Arms of Montreal.
10B1 Variety: On the obverse, the roof of the bank building points to the "L" in MONTREAL, and the left fence has fifteen palings, while on the reverse, the beaver's head stands low.

Specifications:
Composition: Copper
Weight: 8.76 g to 9.07 g
Diameter: 28 mm
Edge: Plain
Die Axis: ↑↓