34 EGBERT WALLACE McLACHLAX ON THE 



circulating medium ; therefore, the first reference to money in the statutes relates to 

 foreign coins.' This occurs in an Act for punishing criminal offenders, passed shortly after 

 the removal of the seat of government to Halifax. It is a law that savours of medieval times, 

 not only for its barbarous penalties but because it proscribed "clipping, filing and 

 rounding," forms of "impairing" that could only prevail with hammered coins. No 

 such coins, save the cob money of the Mexican mines, had been struck since the early 

 days of Charles II. 



In 1787 a law was enacted against the importation and circulation of "any halfpence 

 or other copper coin, other than Tower halfpence or such copper as may and do legally 

 pass current in G-reat Britain and Ireland." " The same law also enacted that the English 

 crown should pass current for five shillings and sixpence and the shilling for thirteen 

 pence. This made the current value of shillings and sixpences relatively higher than 

 crowns, half crowns and halfpence ; consequently shillings and sixpences were the only 

 English coins that continued to circulate after the enforcement of this act ; as all others 

 could be exported at a profit in exchange for shillings. This act then did not prove a 

 panacea for the evils that troubled the currency of the province. It had if anything the 

 contrary effect, for it tended to denude the country of all copper change. While the first 

 section of the act, interdicting the circulation of " base co^Dper coin," was good, the last 

 section could not but prove injurious in that it made it profitable to export all that was 

 left of the copper coin. 



We are not surprised then to note that the Act of 1787, as far as the issue of illegal 

 copper coin is concerned, soon became a dead letter, for the people must needs have small 

 change, and this, it seems, they could only procure by the old methods. These coins, 

 mainly cast off tokens and worn out coppers from England and other places, were at first 

 imported secretly, but the penalties of the act were soon forgotten and their issue became 

 more open. The importation of copper coin was for a time so considerable that it formed 

 a profitable department in the business of many of the Halifax merchants, and as the 

 supply of rejected coppers began to run out coins were especially struck to order ; the 

 earlier of which, mainly anonymous, usually had for design the bust of the king with 

 some device relating to shipping or commerce. Others commemorate the victories of 

 Wellington, or are inscribed with a claim to be " G-enuine British Copper." Of these 

 anonymous coins the most noteworthy is one struck in 1814 to commemorate the triumph 

 of the Shannon over the Chesapeake. The obverse bears a bust of Broke and the reverse 

 Britannia seated by the sea viewing the naval duel in the distance.^ But the importers 

 becoming at length more bold, looking upon the providing of copper coin as part of their 

 legitimate business, and had their names inscribed upon the coins they issued. In this 

 manner are commemorated such firms as Carritt & Alport, Hostermau & Etter, Starr & 

 Shannon, Miles W. White, W. A. & S. Black, J. Brown, W. L. White and John Alexander 

 Barry, all celebrated in the early commercial history of Halifax. The last named was at 

 one time conspicuous in provincial politics as an incorrigible member of the legislature 

 from which he was repeatedly expelled.' 



' Appendix I. 

 ^ Appendix 11. 

 ' Appendi? XL, A. 

 ' Appendix XL, b. 



