Sir Francis Hincks, KCMG, CB, PC (December 14, 1807 – August 18, 1885) was a Canadian businessman, politician, and British colonial administrator.

During his first term, Hincks was the chair of a select committee which studied a proposal from the Governor General, Lord Sydenham, who advocated that the government should take over the issuing of bank notes.

Sydenham proposed that the government take over that function, with control over the amount of paper money in circulation, a forerunner of the idea of a central bank.

Although Hincks personally supported the proposal, it was defeated in the committee, largely because of opposition from the banks who would lose a major source of income.

Hincks' vision of a railroad linking British North America led to the establishment of the Grand Trunk Railway in 1852 and he helped negotiate the Reciprocity Treaty of 1854 with the United States.

Although the British government wanted to keep all of its overseas possessions on the pound sterling, the North American provinces favoured a decimal currency, to facilitate trade with the United States.

A compromise was reached in 1853 when the Canadian Parliament passed a Currency Act, allowing both pounds and American dollars to be used in the Province of Canada, at fixed exchange rates.

New Brunswick passed similar legislation, the beginning of a common currency system in British North America.

[5] A scandal developed in 1854 as a result of profits made by Hincks and Mayor John George Bowes of Toronto from the sale of railway stock.

[6] The government fell as a result, but when this matter was reviewed in the next parliament, no basis was found for allegations of corruption against Hincks.

[3] This was intended to deal with the large amount of American silver coins entering the country, which were valued less than a Canadian dollar.