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1/2 Penny Genuine British Copper
| Issuer | Nova Scotia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1815 |
| Type | Emergency coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | GENUINE BRITISH COPPER 1815 |
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| Edge | Engrailed, reeded |
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| Additional information |
Nova Scotia's copper coinage of this period was a response to a chronic shortage of small change that plagued the Maritime colonies throughout the early nineteenth century — a problem made worse by the near-total absence of officially sanctioned British regal copper in circulation. The "Genuine British Copper" designation was itself a direct commercial counter-move against the flood of lightweight, debased tokens issued by private merchants, and the coins were struck in England to a weight standard meant to distinguish them from that low-quality competition.
Breton 887 is well-documented as a legitimately issued colonial halfpenny rather than a merchant token, placing it in a legally ambiguous but historically significant middle category.