[m'lachlan] copper CURRENCY OF THE CANADIAN BANKS 229 



shillings and pen-oe.^ With its acquiescense in this refusal the Quebec 

 Bank ceased its connection with the copper currency of the province. 



In the issue of this bank there was a return to the original 

 habitant model of 1837. In fact the two obverses are alike in all 

 particulars, except that the word " Bas " is omitted. The reverse has 

 the arms of the City of Quebec, in which Cape Diamond looms up in 

 the distance, with a female and heraldic emblems in the foreground. 



In a small volume of testimonials and autotype plates, giving speci- 

 mens of their work, issued about 1878 by Ealph Heaton & Sons, the 

 ]Mint, Birmingham, the penny and halfpenny of the Quebec Bank are 

 illustrated;- which shows that these tokens were manufactured by this 

 firm. They had lately come to the front as contractors for coinages, 

 both British and foreign, for during the interval between the last issue 

 of the Bank of Montreal and the first of the Bank of Upper Canada, 

 Boulton & Watt had retired from business and the Soho Mint had 

 been dismantled. 



In February, 1850, the Bank of Upper Canada which had secured 

 the larger part of the government deposit, was granted a " license " 

 under the authority of the act of 1841, toi import copper coin to the 

 value of £5,000 sterling.^ Again in ISTovember, 1851, a license for a 

 similar amount was granted; which issue is dated 1852. But, accord- 

 ing to a letter of the cashier the greater part of these coins did not 

 reach Canada until 1853. This delay as he claimed, was caused by 

 ''the great pressure on the mint for the gold and silver coinages of 

 the kingdom." He further states that the agents of the bank had 

 applied to the " Lords of the Treasury for leave to withdraw the dies 

 and metal from the mint" and have the balance of the coinage com- 

 pleted elsewhere.* In September, 1853, the bank applied for another 

 permit to issue tokens amounting to £5,000 sterling, explaining that 

 there was "a great want of small change throughout Upper Canada;"^ 

 and the coinage dated 1854 was imported accordingly. Again in 1856, 

 an application for a further importation was granted, this to the 

 extent for £10,000 worth of tokens.^ This most extensive coinage, 

 which together with the three previous ones aggregated $125,000, 

 was more than the limited population of the Province of Canada 

 could well take up; for not more than half of the tokens of 1857 

 were ever issued. The balance remained stored in the vaults of 



' statutes of the Provence of Canada, 1852-3, Chap. 158. 



^ Ralph Heaton & Son .... Contract for the Coinage of ... . 

 Money Plate III., Nos. 5 and 6. 



' Appendix P, No. 41. / 



* Appendix F, No. 44. 

 ' Ihid., No. 48. 

 « Ihid., No. 52. 



