224 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



it would be well to apply for such authority. This suggestion Schole- 

 field senior followed.^ And after correspondence between the lords of 

 the treasury and the secretary for the colonies the matter was referred 

 to Lord Grosford, the Governor of Lower Canada, who after consult- 

 ing with his advisers replied that as a supply of copper change was 

 most necessary for the trade of the. province, it was highly desirable 

 that the request be granted. At the same time he suggested that 

 as no copper coin had heretofore circulated in Canada for more 

 than a halfpenny, it was undesirable that any larger denomination be 

 coined.^ But the suggestion came too late, as the pennies had already 

 been ordered and (probably the dies engraved. 



In an ordinance of the Special Council, passed in 1839, which 

 while purporting to prohibit the importing and manufacture of 

 " spurious copper or brass coin " provided for the supply of acceptable 

 copper coin, by permitting importation by individuals or corporations 

 under proper restrictions on the authorization of the executive. This 

 ordinance in this connection officially recognizes the coinage of 1837 

 in the clause which states that " provided always, that all coins shall 

 have the same relation to the British penny and halfpenny with those 

 recently imported by the Bank of Montreal.^ This clause was inserted 

 as an amendment, after the bill had been introduced, at the instance 

 pi the Hon. Peter McGill and Turton Penn;* the one the president 

 and the other a director of the Bank of Montreal. 



As the alternative order in case the other banks should not Join 

 in the coinage ^\•as for £2,500, it may be inferred that the issue of the 

 Bank of Montreal was £2,000, and the City Bank, La Banque du 

 Peuple açd the Quebec Bank £1,000 each. The only change in the 

 coins issued by the different banks was, that their name appeared as 

 the motto on the ribbon. Even those issued in Quebec by the Quebec 

 Bank bore the arms of Montreal. 



In 1838 the Bank of Montreal gave Albert Fumiss another 

 order for £2,000 in tokens, half of which, that is 120,000 pieces was 

 to be in penny pieces and the other half 240,000 in halfpenny pieces. 

 This coinage arrived in June, 1839, and on its being opened by the 

 bank authorities it was found to be " of such a very inferior grade 

 that the cashier instructed the notary to protest against Mr. Furniss."^ 



^ Appendix E, No. 2. 



^ Appendix E, No. 6. 



' Ordinances of Special Council of Lower Canada, Vol. IV., Montreal, 1839, 

 ohap. V. 



* Journals of Special Council of Lower Canada, Vol. IV., Montreal, 1839, 

 page 11. 



" Appendix C. 



