1842
- April 27
- The Currency Act of 1841 comes into effect, making legal tender the British sovereign, and the American eagle ($10), dollar, and half-dollar coins. French crowns and half-crowns are no longer legal tender. [169.230] [1003.36]
1850
-
- Inspector-General for the Province of Canada, Francis Hincks, introduces a bill in Parliament, to amend the Currency Act of 1841, giving the Governor General the power to have coins struck for circulation in Canada. [306.133] [571.26]
- The parliament of the Province of Canada passes acts 13 and 14 to amend the Currency Act, allowing authorized banks to produce coins. [16.19] [276.187]
- August 10
- An Act to amend the 1841 Currency Act receives royal assent, with the signature of Lord Elgin, Governor General of Canada. The Act sets the value of the American dollar in Canada at 5 shillings. The Act also gives Canada's Governor General the power to have silver coins struck for circulation in Canada, in denominations of 5 shillings, 2 shillings 6 pence, 2 shillings, 1 shilling 3 pence, 1 shilling, 6 pence, and 3 pence. These values correspond directly to American currency values of $1, 50c, 40c, 25c, 20c, 10c, and 5c. Gold coins are also provided for, in values of 10 shillings, 12 shillings 6 pence, 1 pound, and 1 pound 5 shillings. The Act is set to become law on January 1, 1851. [176.90] [306.133] [378.182] [571.26]
- October 24
- The British Treasury sends a memorandum to the Colonial Office severely criticizing Canadian Inspector-General Francis Hincks' proposed Currency Act of 1850, and demanding its disallowance. [306.134]
- October 25
- Colonial Secretary Earl Grey informs Lord Elgin that the Currency Act of 1850 should be disallowed, as it was not contingent on the acceptability of the British Government. [306.134]
- November
- Francis Hincks replies to the British Treasury stating reasons for Canada to issue its own coinage, and that the Currency Act of 1850 should be allowed to stand, and let the legislature repeal certain sections if they are deemed inappropriate. [306.134]
- December 5
- Earl Grey writes to Lord Elgin, agreeing with Francis Hincks that the Canadian Legislature should have an opportunity to amend the Currency Act of 1850. [306.135]
1851
- February 20
- The British Treasury replies to Francis Hincks' memorandum of November 1850, refusing to budge on the subject of Canadian currency. [306.135]
- April 14
- An Order-in-Council in England disallows the Canadian Currency Act of 1850. [176.90] [306.135] [571.26]
- (month unknown)
- The government of the Province of Canada makes a proposal to the Government in England for a "Canadian pound" in gold, plus decimal coins in silver. The request is denied. [16.19] [276.187]
- May 14
- Francis Hincks writes again to the British Treasury, again stating reasons why Canada should issue its own decimal currency. [306.136]
- June
- Representatives of the provinces of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick meet in Toronto and agree to work towards a common currency based on the decimal system. [277.108] [662.50]
- July 4
- The British Treasury replies to Francis Hincks' May 14 letter, again stating that regulation of currency is the responsibility of the Crown. [306.137]
- August 30
- The Canadian Currency Act passes in Canadian parliament, specifying a conversion to decimal currency as soon as is convenient, and making the dollar legal tender, up to $10 per transaction. The wording of the Act specifies that any new coins struck for Canada would be done so under the approval of the British Government. (The British government delays giving the Act royal assent.) [176.91] [306.139] [571.26] [1173.44]
1852
- June 29
- The British Treasury proposes that a distinctive Canadian coin, the pound currency, and called a "Royal", should be issued. The Royal would be equivalent to four US gold dollars. Silver coins of denominations 1/2 crown, 1 shilling, 1/2 shilling, and 1/4 shilling would also be produced. [306.139] [1028.58]
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- November
- Francis Hincks introduces a new currency Act into the Canadian legislature. The Act specifies that a dollar currency and a pound currency would both be valid. [306.140]
1853
- June 14
- The Currency Act, 1853, receives royal assent, allowing coins in denominations of dollars and cents to be struck for Canada, as well as shillings and pence. [16.19] [39.1] [176.92] [276.187] [277.109] [306.140] [1023.38]
1854
- August 1
- The Currency Act of 1853 is proclaimed in England, allowing pounds and dollars to be used for provincial accounts, and providing legal authority for further changes to Canada's monetary system. [277.110] [662.50] [888.46]
1855
-
- The chairman of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, William Lyon Mackenzie, recommends to parliament that public accounts be kept in a decimal currency based on the U.S. dollar rather than on the British sovereign. No action is taken at the time. [306.142] [571.26]
1856
- March 26
- William Lyon Mackenzie again introduces a resolution in the House of Commons that Canada's currency should become a decimal system, equal to currency of the US. The resolution is defeated by a vote of 58 to 27. [306.142] [571.26]
1857
- March 6
- Canadian Inspector-General (Finance Minister) Cayley introduces a bill requiring the Provincial Government of Canada keep accounts in dollars and cents. [176.93]
- June 10
- An act receives royal assent to put the Province of Canada on the decimal (dollar) system of currency, requiring all accounts be kept in dollars and cents. It is to come into effect January 1, 1858. [1] [35.8] [85] [171.95] [176.93] [276.188] [277.110] [306.143] [571.26] [1015.80] (June 19 [397.15])
- August 18
- Thomas Graham, Master of the Royal Mint announces a forthcoming issue of 15,000 pounds sterling worth each of 5c and 10c pieces, and 2,000 pounds sterling of 20c pieces. [176.93] [306.143] [571.26]
- October 14
- The British Treasury reports that designs for Canada's coins prepared by Leonard Charles Wyon had received approval of Canada's Governor General. [306.143]
- October 16
- The British Treasury approves the Master of the Mint's proposal for determining the weight of the new 20c piece for Canada. The coin will be 71.73 grains of 0.925 fine silver, equal to 5.066 grains of British standard gold. [294.117] [361.285] [662.50]
1858
- January 1
- By an Act passed in England, the Province of Canada is put on the decimal system of currency. [35.8] [85] [240.419] [286.250] [378.183] [380.191] [1015.80] [1144.441]
- July 1
- The first coins for the Province of Canada are minted in England, in denominations of 1c, 5c, 10c, and 20c. The obverse design of the 1 cent piece was originally intended for use on English coinage, but was rejected, due to its similarity to the bronze coinage of Emperor Napoleon III of France. [1] [662.50] [887.10] (July 2 [1014.56])
- July 17
- Designs of Leonard Charles Wyon are approved by Queen Victoria, for coins of the Province of Canada: 1c, 5c, 10c, and 20c pieces. [35.8] [294.117] [361.285] [380.191] [1015.80]
- (month unknown)
- Inspector-General A.T. Galt requests of the British Treasury that the order for new Canadian coinage be increased from 50,000 pounds sterling to 70,000. A new request is made for 20,000 pounds sterling of copper for 10 million 1-cent coins. [295.200] [306.143] (1857 [46])
- In England, a double set of the first two of each coin denomination struck for Canada is presented to Queen Victoria. [39.1] [662.50]
- The Royal Mint begins striking 1c coins for Canada. [295.200]
- August
- The first shipment of Canadian decimal coins is received in Canada from the Royal Mint. It consists of $100,000 in 20c pieces, $75,000 in 10c pieces, $75,000 in 5c pieces, and $50,000 in 1c pieces. [286.250] [306.143] [397.15]
- December 10
- "Letters Patent" makes legal tender the silver 5c, 10c, and 20c pieces, and copper cent. [16.19] [39.1] [276.188] [277.110] [294.117] [350.91] [1080.42]
- December 12
- The decimal coins of Canada are released. Of the order for 10 million 1-cent coins, only 421,000 1-cent coins are ready. [35.8] [380.191] [662.50] [1015.80] [1036.36] [1098.62] (September [1])
1860
-
- The government decides to replace the 20c piece with a 25c coin. [661.51]
1861
-
- The government of the Province of Canada sends part of its stock of 1-cent coins to the New Brunswick for temporary use there while that colony awaited the arrival of its own coinage from England. [661.48]
1862
- December 9
- Canada's first coin club is formed, the Numismatic Society of Montreal, in Montreal, Quebec. Adelard Boucher is named first president. [222.71] [334.116] [350.34] [353.432] [661.v]
1866
- January
- The name of the Numismatic Society of Montreal is changed to the Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Montreal. [334.116] [350.35] [353.433] (January 1867 [222.71]) (Antiquarian and Numismatic Research Society of Montreal [334.116])
- November
- An Order-in-Council makes gold coins from the Sydney Mint legal tender in Canada. [16.19]
1867
- March 29
- The British North America Act receives royal assent, giving legislative authority to the parliament of Canada over matters of coinage. [76.3]
- July
- The Dominion of Canada inherits a stock of several million 1c pieces from the Province of Canada, which it proceeds to issue as Dominion currency. [661.48]
1868
- May 22
- An Act of Canadian Parliament receives royal assent regarding the manufacture or import of copper/brass coins/tokens, making it illegal to do so unless issued under lawful authority. [77.123]
- An Act of Canadian Parliament receives royal assent regarding currency in Canada. Provided the Congress of the USA agrees to adopt the standards set in the International Monetary Conference, then denominations of currency in Canada would be set as pounds, shillings, pence, dollars, cents, and mills, and copper/silver/gold coins of the UK, USA, France and other countries would be legal tender in Canada. This Act also sets the value of the Canadian dollar at 1/4 of the British pound. [77.114] [276.197]
1869
- June 22
- An Act of Canadian Parliament receives royal assent regarding illegal coin-related offences. The Act is set to take effect as of January 1, 1870. [78.138]
- (month unknown)
- The Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Montreal publishes Alfred Sandham's Coins, Tokens and Medals of the Dominion of Canada. It is the first work published in Canada about Canadian numismatics. [222] [336.12] [350.35] [442.18]
1870
- February 12
- An official proclamation sets April 15 as the last day of grace for US silver coins to circulate in Canada. [55] [350.65] [1158.50]
- April 15
- Last day US silver coins may circulate in Canada at par. [1105.77] [1158.50]
- (month unknown)
- The first silver 5, 10, 25, and 50 cent pieces of the Dominion of Canada are issued. The general sizes and designs are the same as the issues for the Province of Canada, but the Queen's head has a crown instead of a laurel wreath. [661.66]
- September 9
- The Finance Minister circulates a notice authorizing legally struck copper half penny tokens, and sous as cents, and one penny tokens as two cents, effective October 1. The withdrawal of the 20c piece is also initiated. [35.8] [295.199] [350.91] [361.285] [1021.28] [1055.44]
- October 1
- Government offices officially begin accepting copper bank tokens for use as decimal coins. Half penny tokens are worth one cent, and one penny tokens are worth two cents. [172.51] [1083.22]
1871
- April 14
- The Uniform Currency Act receives royal assent. The Act sets denominations of currency in Canada as dollars, cents, and mills. The value of a British gold sovereign is set at $5. Silver and copper coins of other countries are no longer legal tender. Foreign gold coins may be allowed, specifically the US $10 gold (Eagle) minted after 1834, with a value set at $10. The Act is set to take effect as of July 1, 1871. [79.21] [85] [276.198] [277.110] [995.50]
- July 1
- The Uniform Currency Act comes into effect, establishing the decimal currency system uniformly across Canada. [1]
- December 18
- The Ralph Heaton & Sons mint strikes silver coins for the first time. 1000 1871-dated 50c pieces for Canada are made under special supervision of personnel from the Royal Mint. (The inability of the Royal Mint to completely satisfy the coinage needs of Canada is later used in arguments for a minting facility within Canada.) [350.35] [652.20] [693.6] [1154.38]
1872
-
- The first issue of the book The Canadian Antiquarian and Numismatic Journal is published. [359.214]
1876
- December 9
- An Order in Council sets the 1c piece legal tender to the amount of 25 cents in any one payment. [93] [1036.36] [1080.42] [1098.62]
- (month unknown)
- The first one cent coins of the Dominion of Canada are issued. The design of the Queen on the obverse was changed from previous issues, showing the Queen wearing a crown, instead of a laurel wreath. [661.52] [521.8]
1881
- April
- The government returns $18,000 worth of 20c pieces to the mint in England, to be melted and recoined as other pieces. [350.36]
- July
- In London, England, the original 1858 Canadian specimen double coin set owned by British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli is sold at auction by Christie's. [39.1] [662.50]
1882
-
- Joseph LeRoux publishes a catalogue of Canadian coins. [350.36]
1883
-
- Joseph LeRoux publishes the book Numismatic Atlas for Canada. [350.36]
1885
-
- The government returns $50,000 worth of 20c pieces to England, to be melted. [350.37]
1888
-
- The government returns $17,174 worth of 20c pieces to England, to be melted. [350.37]
- Joseph LeRoux publishes the book The Canadian Coin Cabinet. [359.183]
1889
-
- The government returns $16,585 worth of 20c pieces to the Royal Mint, to be melted and recoined as 25c pieces. [337.25] [350.37]
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