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1/2 Penny Commerce and Trade
| Issuer | Prince Edward Island |
|---|---|
| Year | 1840 |
| Type | Emergency coin |
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| Obverse description | A bound sheaf of wheat occupies the central field, rendered in relatively crude style characteristic of provincial emergency coinage. The legend PRINCE EDWARD'S ISLAND HALFPENNY curves around the periphery, with the date 1840 positioned in the exergue below the sheaf. The overall design is bold but primitively engraved, reflecting the utilitarian nature of this privately issued token. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | PRINCE EDWARD'S ISLAND HALFPENNY 1840 |
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| Additional information |
Prince Edward Island operated outside the British North American currency mainstream well into the confederation period, and its pre-Confederation token issues were largely the product of private merchants and importers filling a genuine small-denomination vacuum. This particular token was produced in Birmingham — almost certainly by Boulton's successors at the Soho Mint or one of the competing die-cutting houses that dominated the colonial token trade — and shipped across the Atlantic in bulk.
Breton 916 is among the more frequently encountered PEI tokens, suggesting a substantial original shipment. Die alignment and edge treatment can vary across surviving examples.