Catalog
1/2 Penny - Rutherford 'St John's'
| Issuer | R. & I.S. Rutherford |
|---|---|
| Year | 1841 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 9.7 g |
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| Reverse description | The central device depicts a sheep standing in profile to the left, suspended or displayed beneath a hook, a traditional motif associated with the wool and provisions trade. The merchant's name R & I.S. RUTHERFORD arcs across the upper legend, while ST. JOHN'S and NEWFOUNDLAND appear in the lower field, separated by asterisks. The entire design is enclosed within a beaded border. The lettering is deeply and crisply struck in a plain serif typeface consistent with early nineteenth-century trade token production. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Rutherford tokens were issued by a dry goods merchant operating in Montreal during a period when small change was chronically scarce in the Canadas. The Province's official copper supply was perpetually inadequate, and private merchants filled the gap with their own struck tokens — a practice tolerated, if not officially sanctioned, by colonial authorities. The St. John's designation on this piece almost certainly refers to St. John's Ward, a commercial district in Montreal rather than the Newfoundland city.
Breton 952 is one of several Rutherford varieties, distinguished in the CCT census by die linkage and edge characteristics.