Value | 2.00 NFD |
---|---|
Mass | 3.33 g |
Diameter | 17.98 mm |
Edge | Reeded |
Composition | 91.7% Au, 8.3% Cu |
Years of minting | 1865, 1870, 1872, 1880–82, 1885, 1888 |
Obverse | |
Design | Queen Victoria |
Designer | Leonard Charles Wyon |
Reverse | |
Design | Geometric/inscription |
Designer | Leonard Charles Wyon |
The Newfoundland 2-dollar coin was issued in intermittent years between 1865 and 1888. It was the only circulation gold coin issued by a British colony. Although few coins were issued, it was broadly used in Newfoundland and eastern Canada. The coin became scarce in 1894 because of hoarding following the collapse of Newfoundland's banks and monetary system.
Prior to Canadian Confederation in 1867, provinces and colonies had separate currencies. Having been a colony from its founding in 1610 until 1907, and then a dominion prior to joining Canada, Newfoundland had its own currency, the Newfoundland dollar, until 1949. Newfoundland began to issue its own decimal currency in 1865. The original plans for the new Newfoundland coinage suggested including a gold dollar. Over concerns that it would be easily lost as a result of its small size and value, the denomination of the gold coin was increased to two dollars. [1]
The resulting two-dollar coin had a diameter of 17.98 mm, the same as the ten-cent coin —in comparison, a modern Canadian dime has a diameter of 18.03 mm. [1] [2] The obverse design had Queen Victoria. There was one principal portrait of Victoria, but a different one was used in 1865 and 1870, and a third one was used in 1882 and 1888. [3] The reverse was notable in that three equivalent denominations were indicated: 2 dollars, 200 cents, and 100 pence. The third value was the equivalent in sterling. [1]
Issued in various years between 1865 and 1888, few two-dollar coins were struck. [4] The highest annual mintage was 25,000 in 1882 and 1888, while coins struck in 1880 are particularly rare because of a mintage of only 2,500. [4] [5] With the exception of the 1882 issue, struck at the Heaton Mint and bearing the mint mark "H", all of the coins were minted in London. [5]
Newfoundland's two-dollar coin was broadly used not only in Newfoundland, but also in Eastern Canada in general. The supply of the coins "virtually disappeared" in 1894, when Newfoundland's banks and monetary system collapsed. With paper banknotes being distrusted, the gold coins were hoarded, as well as two of the next-highest Newfoundland denominations, the silver 50-cent and 20-cent pieces. [6]
With its two-dollar coin, Newfoundland became the only British colony to issue circulating gold coinage apart from the Sydney Mint, which issued Australian sovereigns from 1855 onwards. [1] Gold coinage was used in Canada and other British domains. For example, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, common gold coins included coins from Portugal, British guineas or sovereigns, French Louis d'or , American eagles, Spanish doubloons, and coins related to the eagles or doubloons. [7] Canada issued five-dollar and ten-dollar gold coins between 1912 and 1914, which were discontinued because of World War I. [8] At the time, Canada was a Dominion. Newfoundland's 2-dollar coin is notable in that it was issued by the colony itself, not having yet gained independence. While other contemporary British colonies (e.g. the British Raj) had gold coinage, Newfoundland was under responsible government; in the context of Canada, that resulted in Newfoundland being a self-governing colony, free to make its own decisions on internal matters, such as coinage, independently of the UK government.
Date | Mintage |
---|---|
1865 | 10,000 |
1870 | 10,000 |
1872 | 6,050 |
1880 | 2,500 |
1881 | 10,000 |
1882H | 25,000 |
1885 | 10,000 |
1888 | 25,000 |
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $. There is no standard disambiguating form, but the abbreviations Can$, CA$ and C$ are frequently used for distinction from other dollar-denominated currencies. It is divided into 100 cents (¢).
The United States three cent piece was a unit of currency equaling 3⁄100 of a United States dollar. The mint produced two different three-cent coins for circulation: the three-cent silver and the three-cent nickel. Additionally, a three-cent bronze coin was made as a pattern in 1863. During the period from 1865 to 1873, both coins were minted, albeit in very small quantities for the silver three-cent piece.
The pound was the currency of Australia from 1910 until 14 February 1966, when it was replaced by the Australian dollar. Like other £sd currencies, it was subdivided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence.
The Bermudian dollar is the official currency of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda. It is subdivided into 100 cents. The Bermudian dollar is not normally traded outside Bermuda, and is pegged to the United States dollar at a one-to-one ratio. Both currencies circulate in Bermuda on an equal basis.
Pennies are a type of coinage that were minted between 1858 and 2012 for use in the Province of Canada, and later in Canada. Each coin is worth one cent, or 1⁄100 of a dollar. While the official term for the coin is one-cent piece, the terms penny and cent predominate likely due to their English origin. Like all Canadian coins, the obverse depicts the reigning Canadian monarch at the time of issue.
The American twenty-cent piece is a coin struck from 1875 to 1878, but only for collectors in the final two years. Proposed by Nevada Senator John P. Jones, it proved a failure due to confusion with the quarter, to which it was close in both size and value.
Newfoundland, as a separate British colony, produced its own decimal currency between 1865 and 1947. The Coins of Newfoundland are of historical importance as Newfoundland was a British colony until 1907, and a Dominion until 1949, when Newfoundland and Labrador became the tenth province of Canada.
The Shield nickel was the first United States five-cent piece to be made out of copper-nickel, the same alloy of which American nickels are struck today. Designed by James B. Longacre, the coin was issued from 1866 until 1883, when it was replaced by the Liberty Head nickel. The coin takes its name from the motif on its obverse, and was the first five-cent coin referred to as a "nickel"—silver pieces of that denomination had been known as half dimes.
The dollar was the currency of the colony of Newfoundland and, later, the Dominion of Newfoundland, from 1865 until 1949, when Newfoundland became a province of Canada. It was subdivided into 100 cents.
The history of Canadian currencies began with Indigenous peoples in Canada prior to European contact, when they used items such as wampum and furs for trading purposes. The Indigenous peoples continued to use those items as currency when trade with Europeans began. During the period of French colonization, coins were introduced, as well as one of the first examples of paper currency by a western government. During the period of British colonization, additional coinage was introduced, as well as banknotes. The Canadian colonies gradually moved away from the British pound and adopted currencies linked to the United States dollar. With Confederation in 1867, the Canadian dollar was established. By the mid-20th century, the Bank of Canada was the sole issuer of paper currency, and banks ceased to issue banknotes.
The pound was the currency of the Canadas until 1858. It was subdivided into 20 shillings (s), each of 12 pence (d). In Lower Canada, the sou was used, equivalent to a halfpenny. Although the £sd accounting system had its origins in sterling, the Canadian pound was never at par with sterling's pound.
The coins of Canada are produced by the Royal Canadian Mint and denominated in Canadian dollars ($) and the subunit of dollars, cents (¢). An effigy of the reigning monarch always appears on the obverse of all coins. There are standard images which appear on the reverse, but there are also commemorative and numismatic issues with different images on the reverse.
The coins of the Australian dollar were introduced on 14 February 1966, although they did not at that time include the one-dollar or two-dollar coins. The dollar was equivalent in value to 10 shillings in the former currency.
As Newfoundland did not join Canada until 1949, it had its own currency for many decades. It adopted its own decimal currency in 1863. Compared to other pre-Confederation British colonies, it had a wide selection of decimal coinage. The most important coin in Newfoundland was the Spanish American dollar, therefore, the Newfoundland government set its dollar equal in value to this coin. The new decimal cent was equal to the British halfpenny and $4.80 was equal to one pound sterling.
Work on the coinage tools for the Newfoundland five-cent coin began after the one-cent coin, so the coin has no legend. The first pattern is derived from the New Brunswick obverse with Newfoundland substituted for New Brunswick.
The Newfoundland ten cent coins exist as a bronze pattern with the adopted obverse from the New Brunswick coin. This design adoption is similar to that used for Newfoundland five cent coins.
The Ottawa Mint sovereign is a British one pound coin minted between 1908 and 1919 at the Ottawa Mint (known today as the Ottawa branch of the Royal Canadian Mint. This has augmented debate among Canadian numismatists because some view these pieces as Canadian while others view them as British and thus distinct from the decimal series of Canadian coinage. Since the opening of the Ottawa Mint, the Dominion of Canada's government wanted to produce decimal gold coins. As it was a branch of the Royal Mint, it was obligated to mint sovereigns on request. When sovereigns were requested, it was usually for export causes.
A shooting thaler is a silver coin in thaler size minted to commemorate a Schützenfest or free shooting in Switzerland.
The copper-nickel three-cent piece, often called a three-cent nickel piece or three-cent nickel, was designed by US Mint Chief Engraver James B. Longacre and struck by the United States Bureau of the Mint from 1865 to 1889. It was initially popular, but its place in commerce was supplanted by the five-cent piece, or nickel.
The three-cent silver, also known as the three-cent piece in silver or trime, was struck by the Mint of the United States for circulation from 1851 to 1872, and as a proof coin in 1873. Designed by the Mint's chief engraver, James B. Longacre, it circulated well while other silver coinage was being hoarded and melted, but once that problem was addressed, became less used. It was abolished by Congress with the Coinage Act of 1873.