New France livre

The livre was the currency of New France, the French colony in modern-day Canada. It was subdivided into 20 sols, each of 12 deniers. The New France livre was a French colonial currency, distinguished by the use of paper money.

History

After an initial period during which barter prevailed, the French livre began to circulate. In order to encourage coins into the colony, those circulating in New France were valued at a premium, creating a monnoye de pays (French monnaie de pays in Modern French) worth less than the French currency (monnoye de France, monnaie de France in Modern French). The premium was set at one-eighth in 1664, raised to one-third in 1680.^[1] The New France currency was distinguished by the extensive use of paper money. However, early issues did not maintain their value. In 1717, the premium for coins was abolished, the card money was redeemed at half its face value and the New France livre was set equal to the French livre. Further paper money was issued. In the 1750s, the backing of paper money by coins was discontinued, causing the hoarding of coins. Following the British conquest of New France, the paper money lost its value and the livre was replaced by the pound.

Coins

A variety of coins circulated in New France, including Spanish dollars, Spanish reales and Spanish colonial reales. In 1670, silver 5 and 15 sols were introduced for use in New France. In 1709, billon 30-denier coins were issued in the colony, followed by billon 15 deniers in 1711. Copper 9 deniers followed in 1722. In 1738, billon 1- and 2-sol coins were introduced in France which also circulated in New France. These coins were also known as 1⁄2 and 1 sols marqués.

Banknotes

In 1685, "card money" was introduced. These were simple notes, hand written on the back of playing cards, which were used due to a shortage of coins. The first issue was redeemed after 3 months. Despite the French authorities' displeasure, further issues were made into the 1690s. Inflation reduced the card money's value, until it was redeemed at half face value in 1717.

In the 1720s, the government introduced promissory notes, known as ordonances. Card money was reintroduced in 1729. Denominations of 6, 12 and 24 livres were issued in 1729, followed by 30 sols in 1733, 20 sols in 1734, 3 livres in 1742, and 7+1⁄2 and 15 sols in 1749. In 1753, treasury notes were introduced (also known as ordonances). 48-livre notes were introduced in 1753, followed by 20 sols in 1754, 3 and 24 livres in 1756, 12 and 96 livres in 1757, and 6 livres in 1758.

References

^ A History of the Canadian Dollar Archived 2007-11-28 at the Wayback Machine

Pick, Albert (1990). Bruce, Colin R. II; Shafer, Neil (eds.). Standard Catalog of World Paper Money: Specialized Issues (6th ed.). Krause Publications. ISBN 0-87341-149-8.

External links

[1] A History of the Canadian Dollar Archived 2007-11-28 at the Wayback Machine

[1]

v t e New France
History	French colonization of the Americas French colonial empire Timeline of New France history Beginnings–1533 1534–1607 1608–1662 1663–1759 1763 Treaty of Paris History of Quebec History of the Acadians History of the French-Americans
Colonies	Acadia (1604–1713) Canada (1608–1763) Terre-Neuve (1662–1713) Louisiana (1682–1763, 1801–1803) Île Royale (1713–1763) Illinois Country Ohio Country Pays d'en Haut Domaine du roy
Towns and villages	Acadie Port Royal Canada Quebec City Trois-Rivières Montreal Détroit Île Royale Louisbourg Louisiane Mobile Biloxi New Orleans Terre-Neuve Plaisance
Forts	List of French forts in North America Fort Rouillé Fort Michilimackinac Fort de Buade Fort de Chartres Fort Detroit Fort Carillon Fort Condé Fort Duquesne Fortress of Louisbourg Castle Hill Fort St. Louis (Illinois) Fort St. Louis (Texas)
Governments	Canada Governor General Intendant Sovereign Council Bishop of Quebec Governor of Trois-Rivières Governor of Montreal Acadie Governor Terre-Neuve Governor Louisiane Governor
Laws	Custom of Paris in New France Seigneurial system of New France Criminal justice in New France Intendancy Superior Council Admiralty court Provostship Officiality Bailiff Maréchaussée Code Noir
Economy	Chemin du Roy Fur trade Coureur des bois Voyageurs Company of 100 Associates Crozat's Company Mississippi Company Compagnie de l'Occident
Society	Population 1666 census Habitants Canadiens King's Daughters Acadians Casquette girls Métis Amerindians Slavery Plaçage Gens de couleur libres Alcohol Currency card money Intellectual life
Missionary groups	Jesuit missions Récollets Grey Nuns Ursulines Sulpicians
Wars	Military of New France Military history of the Acadians Acadian Civil War Intercolonial Wars King William's War Queen Anne's War King George's War Seven Years' War French and Iroquois Wars Expulsion of the Acadians Great Peace of Montreal Lachine Raid Schenectady Raid Deerfield Raid
Category

v t e Currency units named pound, lira, or similar
Circulating	Egyptian pound Lebanese pound Pound sterling Alderney pound Falkland Islands pound Gibraltar pound Guernsey pound Jersey pound Manx pound Saint Helena pound South Sudanese pound Sudanese pound Syrian pound Turkish lira
Local alternative currency	Bristol pound Brixton pound Exeter pound Lewes pound Liverpool pound Stroud pound Totnes pound
Defunct	Aeginetan mina AM-Lira Angevin pound Attic mina Australian pound Bahamian pound Bermudian pound Biafran pound British West African pound Byzantine litra Canadian pound Connecticut pound Cypriot pound Delaware pound Fijian pound French livre Livre parisis Livre tournois French colonial livre Guadeloupe livre Haitian livre New France livre Saint Lucia livre Gambian pound Georgia pound Ghanaian pound Irish punt Israeli lira Italian lira Italian East African lira Italian Somaliland lira Jaca pound Jamaican pound Japanese government-issued Oceanian pound Jersey livre Libyan pound Lombardo-Venetian lira Luccan lira Luxembourg livre Malawian pound Maltese pound Maryland pound Massachusetts pound New Brunswick pound New Guinean pound New Hampshire pound New Jersey pound New York pound New Zealand pound Newfoundland pound Nigerian pound North Carolina pound Nova Scotian pound Ottoman lira Palestine pound Papal lira Parman lira Pennsylvania pound Peruvian libra Pound Scots Prince Edward Island pound Rhode Island pound Rhodesian pound Rhodesia and Nyasaland pound Roman pound Sammarinese lira Sardinian lira Solomon Islands pound South Carolina pound Southern Rhodesian pound South African pound South West African pound Tongan pound Tripolitanian lira Tuscan lira Vatican lira Venetian lira Virginia pound Western Samoan pound Zambian pound
Historical antecedents (mass)	Roman pound (libra) Moneyer's pound (England) Grzywna (Grivna)
See also	Pound sign (£) Dinar Pound (mass) (℔) Roman currency Carolingian monetary system £sd