[m'lachlan] copper currency OF THE CANADIAN BANKS 227 



institutions,! having applied to the Governor-General-in-Council for 

 the necessary avithorization, was accorded the privilege to import such 

 coin to the extent of £5,000, any time before the 1st of January, 1845.^ 



Under this authorization the bank imported £2,000 in pennies and 

 halfpennies in 1843. It would appear that a heavy duty had been 

 placed on copper coin, for on the application of the cashier a permit 

 was granted to import this coinage free of duty.^ In March, 1844, 

 £2,000 worth was brought out and in June, 1845, £1,000 more which 

 completed the £5,000 authorized in 1842. All the coins in both of 

 these shipments which are dated 1844, are halfpennies, for no corre- 

 Sjponding penny is known. This issne of 1844 is by far the largest of 

 any one denomination, as it numbered 1,440,000 pieces. Consequent- 

 ly, it is still by far the most plentiful. 



One of the documents states that in 1845 the Bank of Montreal 

 obtained an authorization to import a further supply of copper coin 

 to the extent of £1,200.* But for some unrecorded reason, although 

 dies were prepared, no such coinage was put into circulation. Two 

 specimens exist struck from the dies of 1845. With this last attempt 

 the Bank of Montreal drops out of the ibusinesa of catering for the 

 supply of a Canadian copper currency and the charge devolved upon 

 another institution. 



The design for the reverse of the coinage of 1842-4, is an exact 

 copy of that of 1837 except the date. The obverse which presents 

 a front view of the bank building while much better in execution and 

 finish, is not so artistic in treatment as that on the coins of 1838. In 

 fact a front view does not afford as favourable an opportunity for the 

 exercise of artistic taste; wliile the inscription "Province of Canada, 

 Bank of Montreal " being too full also detracts from the pleasing 

 effect. For these reasons, as well as for their rarity, the side views 

 have always been more popular among collectors than the front views. 



The similarity of treatment and workmanship, as well as the fact 

 that one of the dies of the 1837 tokens is muled with one of those of 

 1842,5 proves clearly that the latter was executed by Boulton & Watt 

 of the Soho Mint, Birmingham. 



No further effort was made to supply copper coin until 1850, 

 when the Bank of Upper Canada took up the task relinquished by the 



'■ Provincial Statutes of Canada, 1841, Chap. VII., clauses 1 and 2. 

 - Appendix F, Nos. 6 and 7. The former is a draft by the Solicitor Gen- 

 eral, and the latter the Order-in-Council as adopted. 

 ° Appendix F, No. 9. 

 * Appendix F, No. 19. 

 ° Appendix A, No. 20. 



