Beaver Preserve Token c. 1939 Struck for Hudson’s Bay Company.
Brass. 35mm. 8.4 grams. Scheme devised by HBC Post Manager James Watt to grow the rapidly declining beaver population at the Rupert's House post. A quota system was put in place in 1940. Indigenous trappers brought their beaver pelts in to the HBC post, and the pelts were assigned a token. They were then shipped to Quebec, where they were auctioned off to the highest bidder. The trappers would then receive a credit by check for the value realized. This piece does not have the trapper's number on the reverse. It retains its original luster within the legends. A reddish stain occurs at the lower obverse, but otherwise clean and attractive. A very scarce token and a fantastic piece of fur trading history.
See Donald M. Stewart’s 1984 article on the Beaver Preserve tokens here.
Brass. 35mm. 8.4 grams. Scheme devised by HBC Post Manager James Watt to grow the rapidly declining beaver population at the Rupert's House post. A quota system was put in place in 1940. Indigenous trappers brought their beaver pelts in to the HBC post, and the pelts were assigned a token. They were then shipped to Quebec, where they were auctioned off to the highest bidder. The trappers would then receive a credit by check for the value realized. This piece does not have the trapper's number on the reverse. It retains its original luster within the legends. A reddish stain occurs at the lower obverse, but otherwise clean and attractive. A very scarce token and a fantastic piece of fur trading history.
See Donald M. Stewart’s 1984 article on the Beaver Preserve tokens here.
Brass. 35mm. 8.4 grams. Scheme devised by HBC Post Manager James Watt to grow the rapidly declining beaver population at the Rupert's House post. A quota system was put in place in 1940. Indigenous trappers brought their beaver pelts in to the HBC post, and the pelts were assigned a token. They were then shipped to Quebec, where they were auctioned off to the highest bidder. The trappers would then receive a credit by check for the value realized. This piece does not have the trapper's number on the reverse. It retains its original luster within the legends. A reddish stain occurs at the lower obverse, but otherwise clean and attractive. A very scarce token and a fantastic piece of fur trading history.
See Donald M. Stewart’s 1984 article on the Beaver Preserve tokens here.