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1/2 Penny / 1 Sou City Bank
| Issuer | City Bank |
|---|---|
| Year | 1837 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 12.08 g |
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| Obverse description | Central device depicts a decorative bouquet of agricultural produce, comprising a sheaf of grain tied at the base and flanked by open rose blossoms and floral sprigs, all rendered in high relief. The composition conveys the agrarian and commercial themes of Lower Canada. The peripheral legend reads TRADE & AGRICULTURE in the upper arc, separated by a small five-pointed star ornament on each side, with LOWER CANADA completing the lower arc. The flat field surrounding the central device is unadorned, and the coin is contained within a raised rim. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
City Bank of Montreal issued this token in 1837, the same year Lower Canada's banking system lurched into crisis. The Banque du Peuple and others suspended specie payments that spring, triggering a copper token flood as private issuers rushed to fill the small-change vacuum left by hoarded coins. City Bank's token entered circulation in that precise window of institutional distrust — when the public would accept almost anything tangible over paper.