Catalog
1/2 Penny Imitation Bust and Harp
| Issuer | Canadian provinces |
|---|---|
| Year | 1835 |
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| Orientation | 3 o`clock ↑→ |
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| Obverse description | Crude imitation draped bust facing right, executed with notably poor artistry characteristic of contemporary counterfeits and emergency issues. The effigy displays a disproportionately small nose and a receding, weak chin, distinguishing it from official British regal coinage. A ribbon is present in the hair, with its ends pointing inward toward the neck truncation. The surrounding field is plain, devoid of any legend or inscription. The overall style is coarse and irregular, consistent with the work of an unofficial or colonial die-cutter. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A schematic harp oriented facing left occupies the central field, rendered in a simplified and crude manner typical of imitation emergency tokens of the period. The strings of the harp are visible but crudely struck, with the forepillar and neck only roughly defined. Traces of decorative elements, possibly a crown or scrollwork, appear at the upper portion of the instrument. The field surrounding the harp is plain with no legend or inscription present. The overall execution is consistent with the rough, unofficial die work associated with Canadian colonial emergency coppers of the 1830s. |
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| Additional information |
These imitation halfpennies were produced by private British token manufacturers — primarily in Birmingham — to fill the chronic small-change shortage that plagued Upper and Lower Canada throughout the 1820s and 1830s. Colonial authorities had little practical means to stop the flood, and merchants accepted them out of necessity rather than any legal obligation. The CCT BL-34 designation places this piece within Breton's broader taxonomy of anonymous bust-and-harp pieces, a category notorious for the number of dies used and the difficulty of precise attribution to a single issuer or contract.