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1 Sou Belleville - 16 cherry leaves / 4 shamrocks
| Issuer | Lower Canada |
|---|---|
| Year | 1835-1838 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 6.5 g |
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| Obverse description | Central field features a decorative bouquet composed of multiple botanical elements, including one or more maple leaves, shamrocks, thistles, wheat ears, blades, roses, and oak leaves, arranged in a formal heraldic spray. The design draws upon the national symbols of Canada, Ireland, Scotland, England, and France, reflecting the multicultural character of Lower Canada. A beaded border surrounds the design. The legend encircles the bouquet, reading AGRICULTURE & COMMERCE BAS - CANADA, separated by ornamental stops. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | : AGRICULTURE & COMMERCE : BAS - CANADA |
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| Additional information |
The Belleville tokens take their name from Belleville, Ontario, where they were long believed to have been struck — a attribution that proved wrong. They were actually produced in Birmingham, England, almost certainly by the Soho Mint or affiliated diesinkers supplying the chronic shortage of small change that plagued Lower Canada through the 1830s. The colonial authorities issued no official copper, leaving merchants and private contractors to fill the gap.
The leaf and shamrock count variants documented under Breton 675, 677, and 678 reflect deliberate die alterations, not accidents — likely an attempt to differentiate contract batches or satisfy different buyers.