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1/2 Penny Commercial change 1815 - Nova Scotia
| Issuer | Nova Scotia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1815 |
| Type | Emergency coin |
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| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | A seated Native American figure occupies the central field, shown in profile facing right, holding a bow in the left hand with arrows and accompanied by a hunting dog at his feet. The figure is rendered in relief against a plain field, with a ground line beneath. The peripheral legend reads COMMERCIAL CHANGE in raised Latin letters along the upper arc, with the date 1815 positioned in the lower exergual area flanked by two dots. The design is enclosed within a continuous beaded border. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A large three-masted square-rigged sailing vessel is depicted in full sail, proceeding to the right across a calm sea, rendered in fine detail showing rigging, hull, and furled canvas. The ship dominates the central field against a plain background. The circumferential legend HALFPENNY TOKEN arcs along the upper portion, while NOVA SCOTIA curves along the lower arc, both in raised Latin capitals. The entire design is enclosed within a beaded border. |
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| Additional information |
Nova Scotia had no official coinage of its own in 1815, and the chronic shortage of small change forced local merchants to commission their own copper tokens. These "commercial change" pieces circulated by mutual consent rather than legal authority, filling a gap the colonial government showed little urgency to address. Halifax merchants accepted them at face value simply because there was nothing else.
Breton 885 is among the better-documented of the Nova Scotia merchant tokens, with die linkages catalogued by Courteau that help trace the handful of private issuers behind the series.