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1/2 Penny Bale marked S.J. and Co
| Issuer | Lower Canada |
|---|---|
| Year | 1812-1816 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Pound |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Allegorical figure of Justice seated to the left, extending her right arm outward holding a balance scale, while her left arm cradles a cornucopia; she is seated upon a bale of goods marked with the merchant's initials 'S.J. & Co.' The date 1815 appears in the exergue. A circular legend reading HALFPENNY TOKEN surrounds the central device. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | HALFPENNY TOKEN SJ &Co 1815 |
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| Additional information |
These tokens were struck for commercial use during a period when Lower Canada suffered a chronic shortage of official small change — the British government having largely failed to supply adequate copper coinage to the colonial market. Merchant tokens filled the gap, and the "S.J. and Co." bale mark identifies a shipper or trading house using these pieces as a practical medium of exchange rather than as advertising. The exact firm behind the initials has never been conclusively identified.