52 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



"the money of CANADA FROM THE HISTORICAL STANDPOINT." 



This, too, while Canadian money offers few if any references to 

 great events in our history, and as, until comparatively recent years, 

 few coins were struck by the Government for circulation in Canada. 



The main fact in our history, to be learned from the few legal 

 coins issued, was the neglect of those in authority to provide an 

 adequate and stable currency for the needs of the Country. 



This carelessness or impotency on the part of the Government 

 greatly hindered the material advancement of the Colony as well 

 as retarded the growth of trade; consequently, to provide for their own 

 pressing needs, many traders illegally issued unauthorized private 

 tokens, which proving profitable, brought about such a redundancy 

 of change that it became discredited, to the ultimate financial loss of 

 the people as well as causing a want of confidence in their circulating 

 medium. 



The earliest coinage especially struck for Canada, in Paris, in 

 the year 1670, is known, from the first two words of the motto in- 

 scribed thereon, as the Gloriam regni series. This motto, which 

 differs from the Sit nomen of the regular French coins, telling us, in 

 words quoted from the 11th verse of the 145th Psalm, that: "They 

 shall speak of the glory of Thy Kingdom," is an indication of the great- 

 ness, now coming to be realized, anticipated by Louis XIV regarding 

 his pet colonial project which he did so much, in his own egotistical 

 way, to foster. 



Before passing from the early days of the old regime it may be 

 well to refer to the money of necessity issued by Intendant deMeules, 

 in 1685, which, although not coin, has a historical interest all its own. 

 It was paid out, in default of any available coined money, to the 

 soldiers, sent out in the defence of the country, who were clamouring 

 for their arrears. This, coming in advance of any regular issue of 

 paper money, proved to be not only the forerunner but the example 

 on which was based the promissory currency of the American Colonies, 

 as well as that of the Bank of England. It also tells us of the insuffi- 

 ciency of the supply of paper in Canada suitable for a currency of the 

 kind, as well as the absence of a printing press. These first notes were 

 inscribed by hand on the backs of playing cards, from which this 

 currency got the name of "Card Money." So conservative were those 

 connected with the Colonial treasury that each subsequent issue, for 

 over thirty years, was written on playing cards, although ordinary 

 cardboard could easily have been imported for the purpose, from 

 France. On the reissue of card money, after it had been in abeyance 

 for twelve years, while the shape and size were retained, the use of the 

 playing card was abandoned. 



