Catalog
1/2 Penny Regal Imitation - George III left
| Issuer | Canadian provinces |
|---|---|
| Year | 1835 |
| Type | Emergency coin |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A crowned Irish harp occupies the central field, with an angel figure incorporated into the upper portion of the instrument, facing left. The harp strings are rendered with some detail, while the surrounding design elements, including foliate or wing-like decorative flourishes to either side, are executed in the simplified style typical of imitation regal coppers. No legend is present. The overall composition loosely imitates the reverse design of contemporary British and Irish halfpenny regal coinage. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
These so-called "regal imitations" circulated in the Canadian provinces during a chronic small-change shortage that plagued British North America through the 1830s. Privately struck tokens — often in Birmingham by firms like Boulton & Watt's competitors — flooded colonial markets because the Royal Mint simply could not supply adequate copper coinage to the provinces. The CCT BL-8 attribution places this piece within a well-documented but commercially motivated series, not an official issue.
The left-facing portrait was an unusual commercial choice, deliberately diverging from the conventional right-facing bust to avoid direct counterfeiting accusations.