Reverse: Under the dotted circle on top, “CANADA” and the year of issue. In the center, a milk bottle and a Holstein cow. Above the dotted circle at the bottom, the face value.

Obverse: Inside the dotted circle on the left, “ELIZABETH II”. In the center, a portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Inside the dotted circle on the right, “D•G•Regina”.

Many Canadians have fond memories of a uniformed milkman delivering bottles of fresh dairy to their childhood homes. From the late 19th century to the 1960's, consumers could buy dairy tokens to "pay" for the milk or cream that was delivered. Most dairies had their own unique tokens, often brightly colored like this eyecatching triangular coin.

Pre-Confederation tokens disappeared from circulation after the 1870’s and were replaced by new Canadian coinage. Still, local merchants continued to issue variously shaped trade tokens, exchangeable for a number of goods and services, like bread, milk or a shave. Though their use declined after the Second World War, some tokens, like those used in today’s public transit systems, have withstood the test of time.