60 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



the coppers and the United States silver, and substituting therefor a 

 Canadian silver coinage. 



This project was suggested by the late William Weir, of Montreal, 

 and adopted and carried out by Sir Francis Hincks, the then Finance 

 Minister, through Mr. Weir, as his agent. This involved a large 

 coinage of silver during the years 1870 and 1871. But as the Royal 

 Mint was not at that time able to keep pace with the Canadian orders, 

 besides supplying the home demand, a fractional 25 cents paper note 

 was issued and the Bank Tokens instead of being withdrawn were 

 raised in value to five halfpenny pieces in place of six for five 

 cents as formerly. 



I well remember furnishing Mr. Weir with specimens of the 

 different Bank tokens, to be illustrated in the circular he issued on 

 behalf of the Government, raising their value, while calling in the old 

 coppers for redemption. 



Thus did Sir Francis Hincks effect, in the short space of a year, 

 by one stroke of statemanship, the change in the currency system that 

 had been dragging along for years. The tables of the money changers 

 were thus overthrown, and for the last forty years, the people have 

 but one stable currency, equally acceptable by the banks and for 

 general circulation, instead of two as formerly. 



