- Country:Canada
- Collection:Silver Commemorative $10
- Metal:Silver
- Year:2020
- Denomination:$10
- Finish:Complete
- Weight (oz):0.51
- Purity:0.9999
- Mintage:10000
- Product type:Coin
In the 19th century, Hudson's Bay Company introduced separate coinage for its fur trade and retailactivities. The metal trade tokens differed by district but the idea was the same: fur trappers received them as credit against future purchases made at HBC trading posts. The design replicated on this 99.99% pure silver coin is based on the East Main District (east/south of Hudson Bay) brass Made Beaver tokens issued between 1860 and 1870. These were namedfor HBC's standardized currency unit, the "Made Beaver" (MB), which was equal to the value of one prime adult male beaver pelt. The tokenswere issued in four different denominations and sizes: 1 MB (30 mm), 1/2 MB (27 mm), 1/4 MB (25 mm) and 1/8 MB (19 mm). And each obverse featured the letters "HB" (Hudson's Bay Company), "EM" (East Main District) and "MB"(Made Beaver), although a few were mistakenly stamped with "NB."
A must-have gift for history lovers! Celebrate HBC's350th anniversary with this 99.99% pure silver coin!
Special features:
CELEBRATE HBC'S 350TH ANNIVERSARY! Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) isone of Canada's most recognizable icons and this token replica coin represents the story of a company, a nation and its currency.
EXCEPTIONAL SCULPTING: Our passion and dedication to historical accuracy knows no bounds! We've engraved this moderncoin in the same style as the original token to ensure a period-authentic look.
SPECIAL HBC PACKAGING:Your coin is packaged in a custom HBC-branded beauty box, complete with iconic stripes.
POWERFUL STORYTELLING: There are no dates or words on the reverse(except for the company motto "PRO PELLE GUTEM", which is Latin for "a pelt for a skin"), only the heraldic design that represents 350 years of history. It is a glimpse of the coinage from Canada's fur trade era.
NEARLY THE SAME SIZE AS THE ORIGINAL: This 34 mm coin is only slightlylarger than the original 30 mm token from the 1860s.
INCLUDES SERIALIZED CERTIFICATE! Regardless of special packaging, the RoyalCanadian Mint certifies all of its collector coins!
LIMITED WORLDWIDE MINTAGE! Only limited number of coins will be made worldwide!
NO GST/HST!
Design:
The reverse design is a faithful reproduction of a 19th-century fur tradetoken issued by Hudson's Bay Company. Framed by an oak wreath, the company's coat of arms features elk supporters and a silver shield with the cross of St. George and four beavers (one in each quarter). The crest depicts a fox sitting on the cap of maintenance. The company motto "PRO PELLE GUTEM" (Latin for "a pelt for a skin")appears below the shield on a banderole. The obverse features the year "2020", the face value "10 DOLLARS", and the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.
"The connection between theRCM and HBC goes back many years. This token replica coin pays homage to both companies on this momentous event!" Erica Maga: RCM Product Manager
Original brass Made Beaver token with HBC's Coat of Arms issued by HBC under George Simpson McTavish sometime between 1860-1870. Courtesy of Hudson's Bay Company.
Original brass Made Beaver token with HBC's Coat of Arms issued by HBC under George Simpson McTavish sometime between 1860-1870. Courtesy of Hudson's Bay Company.
Did you know:
The corporate coat of arms dates back to 1671 but take a close look at the supporters on this coin. Are they elk or moose? It is said they were intended to be moose, as seen on the coat of arms today, but they also appeared as stylized elk throughout the company's history. In fact, not many Europeans had even seen a moose or an elk in the 17thand early 18th century, which explains the unusual appearance of these animals on early representations of the coat of arms.
Signed on May 2, 1670, the original Royal Charter is preserved at HBC's corporate headquarters in Toronto.
Until 1970, the Royal Charter included a clause requiring HBC to pay the British Crown a periodic rent of "two Elks and two Black beavers." TheRent Ceremony only occurred four times since 1670:in 1927, 1939, 1959 and 1970.
