A Unique Currency: New France's Playing Card Money

Canadian History Ehx · Craig Baird · Sep 11, 2026 · 19 min

What's in this episode

For decades, New France used playing cards as money whenever coins from France ran short. Craig explains how the system started in 1685, how cards were cut and signed to mark different values, and why it kept coming back until the British conquest.

Questions it answers

Why did New France use playing cards as money?

In 1685 New France ran out of coins and paper, so the intendant signed playing cards instead. Craig Baird of Canadian History Ehx explains how it worked.

Answered on Canadian History Ehx

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