Medal - Medallic History of Canada (Founding of Halifax) ND

Reverse

Script: Latin

Lettering:
Halifax, a military
and naval post founded in
1749 by Governor Cornwallis,
was of tremendous military value
to the British in times of war and of
great economic worth in times of peace.

Halifax, à la fois base navale et garnison
militaire, fondé en 1749 par le gouver-
neur Cornwallis, avait pour les Anglais
une importance stratégique en
temps de guerre et économique
en temps de paix.

Wellings Mint Mark

Edge

Plain with text

Lettering: FRANKLIN BRONZE, Wellings Mint Mark, 71, P

Comment

This was part of a series of 100 historical medals in 2 volumes of 50 made by the Wellings Mint (Wellings Mint was assimilated by the Franklin Mint in 1973). There was a limited run of around 1000 I believe, which is why the edge is numbered.

Made in bronze and sterling silver versions.

The Mi'kmaq name for Halifax is Kjipuktuk, pronounced "che-book-took". The name means "Great Harbour" in the Mi'kmaq language.
The first permanent European settlement in the region was on the Halifax Peninsula. The establishment of the Town of Halifax, named after the 2nd Earl of Halifax, in 1749 led to the colonial capital being transferred from Annapolis Royal.

The establishment of Halifax marked the beginning of Father Le Loutre's War. The war began when Edward Cornwallis arrived to establish Halifax with 13 transports and a sloop of war on June 21, 1749. By unilaterally establishing Halifax, the British were violating earlier treaties with the Mi'kmaq (1726), which were signed after Father Rale's War. Cornwallis brought along 1,176 settlers and their families. To guard against Mi'kmaq, Acadian and French attacks on the new Protestant settlements, British fortifications were erected in Halifax (Citadel Hill) (1749), Bedford (Fort Sackville) (1749), Dartmouth (1750), and Lawrencetown (1754), all areas within the modern-day Regional Municipality.