Joseph Guedry and Acadian Card Money
The typical form of payment for business transactions in Acadia was barter where two persons traded items of equivalent value. For example, several beaver pelts would be traded for a weight of sugar. Coins, the only form of legal tender in French Canada, were scarce and often non-existent. Coins had to be shipped from France across the Atlantic - a slow and often dangerous route.
In January 1685 Intendant Demeulle of New France ran out of money (coins) and had to find some way to continue to operate the Colonial Government. Ingeniously, he used his own credit to back an issue of promissory notes (called playing card money). As his promissory notes, he used regular playing cards on which both the Governor and the Intendant signed their names and on which the seal of the Treasurer was impressed in wax. The cards were cut in quarters and issued in denominations of 4 livres, 40 sols and 15 sols. There were 20 sols (sous) in one livre and 12 deniers in one sol (sou). The new “money” was placed into circulation and could be used to purchase goods. When a ship from France delivered coins, the Intendant would exchange the playing card money for coins. In September 1685 a ship arrived with coins and the playing card money was redeemed for coins.
Playing card money was reissued in February 1686 under the same terms as before and the “Colonial cash” continued to be used. Even in 1699 when the King forbade the use of playing card money, colonists continued to use it and the Intendant continued to issue it. The use of card money gained in sophistication as the corners of cards were cut according to a fixed table which set the value of the card money.
Since the Intendant kept few records of the playing card money issued, he did not know the amount of card money in circulation. In the early 1700’s far more card money was presented for redemption than the Intendant anticipated and he was unable to uphold his promise of exchanging the card money for coins. The card money then lost its credibility. In 1706 the French government accepted the card money as legal tender; however, the Intendant could not issue any further card money. Slowly the card money was withdrawn from circulation; however, in 1759 approximately 41 million livres were still in circulation. With the fall of Quebec in 1759 France refused to honor its obligation to redeem the card money and it quickly became devalued. Britain then entered into negotiations with France to arrange a final liquidation of the card money and agreement was reached in which France would redeem the card money at 25% of its face value.
Some of the card money reached Acadia and was carried with the exiled Acadians to Louisiana where it was redeemed at New Orleans for currency used in the Louisiana colony. Colonial records indicate that at least four groups of Acadians exchanged card money upon reaching New Orleans:
- a group of 58 Acadian families from Halifax led by Joseph Broussard dit Beausoleil in April 1765 redeemed 33,395 livres, 18 sols
- a group of 73 Acadian families from Halifax led by Jean-Baptiste Bergeron in June 1765 redeemed 47,076 livres, 19 sols, 6 deniers
- a group of 37 Acadian families from Halifax led by Philippe Lachausee in November1765 redeemed 27, 044 livres, 7 sols, 8 deniers
- a group of Acadians settled in the Opelousas or Attakapas area had 6,890 livres, 17 sols of card money
Unfortunately only the list of families from the Joseph Broussard dit Beausoleil group has survived over the years. On this list is Joseph Guedry, one of the first two Guedry’s to settle in Louisiana. Joseph Guedry redeemed 260 livres of card money.
The original Spanish records on the redemption of Acadian card money in Louisiana is at the Achivo General Indios, Audencia de Santo Domingo (Seville, Spain), Legajos 2585 (March 8, 1766 and July 9, 1766). The Broussard list of Acadians redeeming card money is on microfilm “France, Archives des Colonies, C 13a, Louisiana General Correspondence v. 45 p. 29”.
The document identifying the Acadians led by Joseph Broussard dit Beausoleil who redeemed card money is below.
