 1794 Copper Company of Upper Canada token. Copper. Breen-1077. Proof-63. 201.0 grains. Original striking with round Os. Rich chocolate brown surfaces show excellent reflectivity and the fruits of very nice preservation. Some lighter brown and olive highlights are present, typical well-detailed strike, no major flaws. A few scattered tiny spots are visible, including one beneath O of OF and two beneath L of HALF, though other smaller ones may be seen here or there on the reverse. A rare token, struck in England in the summer of 1794 and said by Ford to have been "a definite pattern for an authentic Canadian copper coinage" in his important 1951 article on the subject. Their mintage was requested by Governor John Graves Simcoe, who the same year requested small Indian Peace medals and would have been well known to Americans of the era for his presence as a British officer at several Revolutionary battles. This token has been somewhat adopted into the American series on the basis of this reverse die being muled with the Myddelton token obverse (and those mulings finding listings in the Guide Book and other references). For those who wish to include this historic and interesting pattern in their collection, finding a finer specimen would be a great challenge.
From the Wayte Raymond Estate; Stacks' sale of the John J. Ford Jr., Collection Parts 7 & 8, January 2005, Lot 124. The original Ford lot ticket is included.
| |
|
