Bust & Harp Token (Lower Canada, c. 1825)

Today's share is the anonymous Bust & Harp token I had the pleasure of photographing yesterday. It's a quietly fascinating survivor from Lower Canada. Although it is dated 1820, the token entered circulation around 1825. That earlier date wasn’t accidental—it neatly sidestepped a new law passed in 1825 that banned the production of private tokens.



The design would have felt instantly familiar to Irish immigrants. With its bust-and-harp motif, it closely echoes the Irish George IV halfpenny issued just a few years earlier, in 1822–1823. That resemblance likely helped the token gain quick acceptance in everyday use.




By the late 1820s, the Bust & Harp had become wildly popular—and widely copied. More than twenty distinct varieties are known today, ranging from carefully made early strikes to later, much cruder imitations. The earliest examples, like this one, are struck in copper and were almost certainly produced in Great Britain for circulation in Canada. The later brass versions, rougher in style, were likely made closer to home.

This particular token belongs to the earliest group. It’s struck in copper and can be identified by a prominent die break behind the bust—a small manufacturing flaw that now serves as a fingerprint, anchoring it firmly in the token’s earliest phase of production.

 

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An interesting piece, and superb photos as usual.

 

Nothing in-depth today. Had too many other coins to photograph this weekend.

 

Yes, but like most of them, this one wasn't made by a blacksmith.

The term “blacksmith token” comes from an 1885 article by R.W. McLachlan, where he described a specific crude copper token that he claimed was struck by a Montreal blacksmith for personal use. That colorful story stuck, and over time the name “blacksmith token” (or “blacksmith copper”) was applied broadly to a whole range of similar-looking tokens.

In reality, while a few of the rarest examples may have been hand-struck by individuals, the sheer number and variety of known types makes it very unlikely that most were made by literal blacksmiths. Even McLachlan later acknowledged that many must have been produced in more organized operations, possibly over several years and at multiple locations.

Current research suggests these tokens were struck at various sites in Lower Canada, and possibly also in Upper Canada and the United States. So while the name remains useful as a general label, it’s more of a historical nickname than a precise description.

 

So were these used and traded as coinage? Both of the examples shown here appear quite worn.

 

I was always curious as to what a blacksmith token was, so now I know. I thank you for the explanation. BTW, are there any books devoted to this series of pieces? I'd like to know more about them.

A beautiful Bust and Harp.

Bruce

 

They did, circulating with many other unofficially issued tokens, but more to the point of wear, they were evasion currency, intentionally designed and made to resemble well worn examples of English or Irish copper coinage. That's why they're dated 1820 though issued in 1825-30.

 

My references are from Charlton Catalogues and on line but I image there are books devoted to this. The Wikipedia page about Blacksmith tokens mentions a few.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blacksmith_token

 

I got this one last year. When I first picked it up I thought it was from Ireland until I did more research and found out it was Canadian. I like all the Canadian tokens from the 19th century.