Franco-americana colonia - Castorland - Salves magna parens frugum

The Castorland Company was a French speculative land venture, formed in 1792 by refugees and investors seeking to establish a colony in northern New York State along the Black River. The tokens were struck in Paris — almost certainly by the Monnaie de Paris — intended as a kind of proto-currency for the settlement. The colony itself was a commercial catastrophe, beset by wilderness conditions, mismanagement, and the broader financial wreckage of post-Revolutionary France.

Restrikes were produced well into the 19th century using the original dies, making authentication of genuine 1796-dated strikes a persistent challenge for collectors. The restrikes are often found in superior condition for obvious reasons.