222 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



issue. Two varieties also of the false tokens from Belleville, N. J., 

 reproduce the same bouquet as appears on. " La Banque du Peuple " 

 sou. The similarity of the sou made by Joseph Arnault, to one of the 

 clandestine issue and the fact that many S|pjecimens occur struck over 

 the Canadian made brass tokens bearing dates 1813 and 1820, prove 

 that at least one variety of the U7i sou token was made in Montreal, 

 and that Arnault thus tried to rehabilitate the discarded tokens by 

 thus giving them a new dress. 



Perhaps it was this incident that brought about the condemnation 

 of the un sous, which came again from the hucksters. These self 

 constituted censors of the Copper Currency excepted the issue of the 

 Bank of Montreal from the general condemnation; and, illiterate 

 though they were, the mark by which they determined the genuine 

 from the spurious was the error of the Birmingham maker. This con- 

 demnation would appear to have involved the issue of the " La Banque 

 du Peuple." 



This sudden withdrawal of such a large quantity of copper coin 

 again created a dearth in small change; wbich dearth set the people 

 more ardently seeking for an adequate and permanent relief and 

 towards which steps were taken early in 1837, both in Quebec and 

 Montreal. I have fortunately been able to lay my hands on a number 

 of documents bearing on this subject, on which I have been able to 

 base the following deductions. These documents have been culled 

 from the minute book of directors of the Bank of Montreal, from the 

 Archives of the Montreal Court House, from the Archives depart- 

 ment, at Ottawa, and from the State book, Ottawa. Some important 

 letters are missing still there is enough to settle many disputed points. 



One of the documents states that a resolution passed at a " general 

 special session of the peace," held at Quebec, in June, 1837, asked the 

 Governor in Council to provide a supply of copper change as it was 

 greatly needed.^ Although this resolution was favourably reported on by 

 the Council suggesting the importing of a quantity of British half- 

 pence, the suggestion being impracticable, no action was then taken. 

 But a more efficient remedy was set under way at Montreal by the Bank 

 of Montreal; for under -date of June 9th, 1837, the following item is 

 minuted: "The subject of the Copper Coinage was again discussed. 

 The cashier was directed to import a quantity and obtain the con- 

 curranee of the other banks." ^ An order for £5,000 worth of this coin 

 was entrusted to Albert Furniss ^ provided he secured concurrence of 



'■ Appendix F, No. 2. 



" Appendix C. No earlier minute was accessible to me. 

 ' Albert Furniss was a prominent and enterprising business man of that 

 time, being engaged in the metal trade. He was also connected with a num- 



