[mclachlan] presidential ADDRESS 55 



arrow and dog ; Miles W. White, an extensive hardware merchant and 

 W. L. White, a dry goods merchant. 



These tokens, having been issued in excessive quantities, became 

 so discredited, that, in 1817, an act was passed prohibiting their further 

 circulation, so, unlike the neglect of the authorities of Lower Canada, 

 the Provincial Secretary, in the year 1823, took the remedy into his 

 own hands and issued the Thistle series. This reminds us of the 

 Scottish name of the province and of the original grant to Sir William 

 Alexander and his Barons of Nova Scotia. 



A curious mistake was made in one of the Thistle coinages, dated 

 1832, for it bears the bust of George IV, two years after the accession 

 of William IV. 



In 1856, another coinage of the Thistle tokens was ordered; but 

 before it could be executed Mr. John S. Thompson, a professor in the 

 High School of Halifax, who had instituted a regular propaganda for 

 the adoption of a special flag for Nova Scotia and the Mayflower 

 {Epigea repens) as the Provincial emblem, had so interested the 

 Provincial Secretary, that this emblem replaced the thistle on the 

 reverse of the new coinage. 



Again, on the adoption of the decimal coinage, in 1861, the 

 wreath on the reverse was, at the last moment, made to display the 

 Mayflower entwining roses. Dies had been prepared for the coinage 

 with the wreath composed of roses and rose leaves alone. 



Another fact revealed by the coinage of half cent pieces, as well 

 as of cents, is, that the standard of Nova Scotia was based on the 

 rate of five dollars to the pound sterling, which while it called for no 

 silver coinage, the British shilling passing current for twenty-five 

 cents, necessicated a half cent piece to make change for the sixpence, 

 which circulated at twelve and a half cents. 



In Upper Canada, where the brunt of the battle of the war of 

 1812 occurred, one ©f the events of that war was commemorated by 

 the Brock tokens, which, in a long inscription covering the whole 

 reverse, relates that this coin was struck in memory of "Sir Isaac 

 Brook (sic) Bart, the hero of Upper Canada, who fell at the glorious 

 battle of Queenston Heights on the 13th October, 1812." Another 

 shows an urn on a low pedestal supported by two angels with the 

 legend "Sr. Isaac Brock the Hero of Upr. Canada." 



The "Sloop" tokens remind us, that, in the second decade of the 

 last century the commerce of the Province was mainly carried on over 

 the great lakes in sloop-rigged sailing vessels. 



Lesslie and Sons is the only Upper Canada firm made historical 

 through a token bearing its name. These coins, which are plentiful, 

 show that the main business house of the firm was located at "York" 



