CANADA. Lower Canada. Vexator Canadiensis 1/2 Penny Token, 1811. PCGS AU-53 Gold Shield. Br-558. VC-Unlisted. Weight: 3.87 gms. A fascinating, recently discovered example of Vexator Canadiensis token that displays unique detail on both sides. Its possible the dies used to coin this piece started their lives as those used on the normally seen VC-2 variety, and in fact much of the reverse detail here does match up to certain well struck examples of VC-2 in this die state. The obverse, however, appears to be a totally new creation. It seems this die is the product of grinding down and effacing almost the entirety of a previously used obverse and then crudely pounding a small chisel into the die to create the bust design. Judging by the high grade of the coin and the complete lack of legends, its likely the coiner didnt engrave any legends at all, perhaps with the intent to simulate wear and encourage acceptance in commerce. The relative positioning of the eye, ear, nose, and chin of the effigy is similar to that on the standard VC-2 obverse and leads us to believe this is a reworked incarnation of that die, but the drastically different overall appearance makes this deserving of being considered a new variety. An exciting offering for collectors of these legendary Canadian tokens, and a piece (and series) that is definitely worthy of further study and classification.
