Owner Comments:
Purchased on 6/29/2014.
As described by R.W. McLachlan in the American Journal of Numismatics, January 1880 (Volume XIV, Issue 3, page 76), R.W. McLachlan.
LIV.
Obv. NIAISON JACQUES CARTIER EX ST. ROCH QUEBEC A beaver to the right with a leaf or twig in his mouth.
Rev. UN CENTIN PAYABLE I CHEZ I H. GAGNON & CIE I RUE LA COURONNE | ST ROCH I QUEBEC inscription in six lines, occupying the whole field. Copper. Size 27 mm. R 1.
The dies of this coin were engraved in New York, and to prevent such customs interruption as interfered with the issue of the Devins & Bolton token, were sent on, oddly enough, not to Quebec, but to St. Epiphanie, a small village about a hundred and fifty miles down the river. The coins were struck there by a tinsmith named Garnet. Messrs. H. Gagnon & Co. do an extensive retail dry goods business, and issue these tokens to their customers as an inducement for them to return. There are rumors that the government intend interfering with their further issue. Having been struck as late as November, 1879, we may class this coin as our newest Canadian numismatic treasure.