Newfoundland Two Dollars

The Newfoundland Two Dollars is a small gold coin issued by the British colony of Newfoundland. The example shown here has the obverse portrait of Queen Victoria facing left with the legend VICTORIA D.G. REGINA, dated 1870. It is a genuine circulating gold piece, not a commemorative or pattern.

The coin is unusual for stating its value three ways. The reverse carries TWO DOLLARS, TWO HUNDRED CENTS, and ONE HUNDRED PENCE, reflecting Newfoundland's decimal dollar alongside the sterling system still used for trade. This makes it the only regular-issue coin to bear a value in dollars, cents, and pence at the same time.

It is a physically tiny gold coin, roughly 18 mm across and weighing a little over 3 grams, containing well under a fifth of a troy ounce of gold. Small size and modest total mintage make surviving examples popular with collectors of British North American and Commonwealth gold.

Newfoundland adopted a decimal currency in the 1860s and, unlike the mainland Canadian provinces, chose to strike its own gold coin. The two-dollar piece was authorised as part of this new coinage and first appeared in 1865. It was produced only in a handful of years across its life: 1865, 1870, 1872, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1885, and 1888.

Most issues were struck at the Royal Mint in London, while the 1882 coins were produced under contract by the Heaton Mint in Birmingham and carry an H mint mark. The coin's triple denomination reflected Newfoundland's position between the North American dollar and the British sterling world: two Newfoundland dollars were reckoned as two hundred cents and, by the colony's rating, one hundred pence sterling.

The series ended in 1888, and Newfoundland struck no further gold. The colony continued to issue silver and bronze coinage until it joined Canada in 1949, but the two-dollar gold piece remains its only gold denomination.

The obverse shows Queen Victoria's head facing left encircled by VICTORIA D.G. REGINA. Victoria was the only monarch to appear on this denomination, so every genuine example carries her portrait. The date on the coin illustrated is 1870.

The defining feature is the reverse legend. Look for the three-line statement of value: TWO DOLLARS with TWO HUNDRED CENTS and ONE HUNDRED PENCE, together with the word NEWFOUNDLAND and the date. No other circulating coin combines these three units.

The coin is small gold, about 18 mm in diameter and roughly 3.3 grams in weight, struck in the standard 22-carat gold alloy. Check for a mint mark: an H below the date marks the 1882 Heaton Mint issue, while coins without it were struck at the Royal Mint in London.

The Newfoundland Two Dollars carries a numismatic premium well above its small gold content, which is under a fifth of a troy ounce. Because total mintages were modest and the coin is widely collected, even worn examples generally sell for a multiple of melt value.

Price depends strongly on date and condition. More available years in circulated grades sit at the lower end, while scarce dates and high-grade, lustrous examples command substantial premiums. Certified pieces in mint state can reach into the thousands at specialist sale.

Because this is a scarce, sought-after gold coin, values here are indicative only and counterfeits exist. For a specific coin, obtain an opinion from a reputable dealer or a third-party grading service before buying, selling, or insuring it.