20 Cents - Victoria Specimen Pattern

The Province of Canada's 1858 coinage represented the first domestically authorized decimal issue for British North America, breaking from the Halifax currency system that had governed the colonies for generations. The 20-cent denomination was a peculiarly Canadian invention — an awkward unit that fit neither British sterling nor American decimal conventions, and it was quietly abandoned when Confederation brought the Dominion's coinage in line with a 25-cent standard in 1870.

This specimen pattern was struck at the Royal Mint in London as a presentation piece during the design approval process. Very few survive outside institutional collections.