that no specimen of this half-pence token described by Thomason had come to light, and suggested that Thomason mis-remembered having struck them for Isaac. McLachlan further speculated that Coffin was in a hurry, and sent the dies for the half penny along with the minting press with the intention of minting that token on the island, and that the coining press and dies for that other token were never used. There are no known extant examples of the half penny Magdalen token, but a recent survey of numismatic sales relating to this token found a catalog sale from 1871 that mentioned two examples of the half penny (not illustrated), both listed in "Fine" condition. These two examples have not subsequently resurfaced, and it is worth noting the sale catalog was criticized the following year in an American coin collector's magazine for its extensive typographical errors. Canadian numismatist Pierre-Napoléon Breton illustrated the penny token in his book Illustrated History of Coins and Tokens Relating to Canada (1890), placing it first among the Quebec series of tokens, and numbering it as 520 in his catalog. In this book he also mentions its origins with Sir Isaac Coffin, and says that the coins were chiefly distributed on the island "by way of loans among the chief men in the Islands". He gave its rarity (on a 10-point scale, with "10" being the rarest), as 2½. More modern studies of the token find that it is rare in Fine condition or better, and that uncirculated business strikes are rarer than the few proofs that were minted. It is thought that the tokens were produced from a single set of dies, with some of the proof specimens showing signs of having been recut. Notes Bibliography References Coins of Canada by J.A. Haxby and R.C. Willey. External links Images of the One Penny Token CoinsAndCanada.com: Magdalen Island - 1815 Canada's Money Currencies of Canada Token coins Magdalen Islands