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1 Penny - Bank of Upper Canada
| Issuer | Bank of Upper Canada |
|---|---|
| Year | 1850-1857 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Pound (1841-1858) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central field features elements derived from the Upper Canadian coat of arms: a large imperial crown at the top surmounting a crossed anchor and fasces (or mace), with two smaller crowns flanking at the lower left and right, each associated with floral or heraldic ornaments. A quartered shield device appears to the upper right. The legend BANK TOKEN arcs across the upper field, and ONE • PENNY curves along the lower periphery, with small ornamental stops separating the words. The design is framed by a continuous beaded border. |
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| Reverse lettering | BANK TOKEN ONE • PENNY |
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| Additional information |
The Bank of Upper Canada was granted a charter in 1821 and became the dominant commercial bank in the province, closely tied to the Family Compact — the oligarchic clique that controlled Upper Canadian politics well into the 1840s. By the time these tokens were commissioned, the bank was operating in the newly united Province of Canada, yet the "Upper Canada" name persisted on the coinage as a matter of institutional branding rather than geography.
The tokens were struck in Birmingham, almost certainly by Heaton's mint, which supplied the bulk of Canadian provincial copper during this period. The bank collapsed in 1866, a casualty of overextension and the post-Confederation reorganization of Canadian finance.