As
Newfoundland did not join
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
until 1949, it had its own currency for many decades. It adopted its own
decimal currency
Decimalisation or decimalization (see spelling differences) is the conversion of a system of currency or of weights and measures to units related by powers of 10.
Most countries have decimalised their currencies, converting them from non-decimal ...
in 1863. Compared to other pre-Confederation British colonies, it had a wide selection of decimal coinage (including a
twenty cent coin). The most important coin in Newfoundland was the Spanish American dollar (the
8-real piece), 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
Sterling (abbreviation: stg; Other spelling styles, such as STG and Stg, are also seen. ISO code: GBP) is the currency of the United Kingdom and nine of its associated territories. The pound ( sign: £) is the main unit of sterling, and ...
.
Queen Victoria Laureated Portrait, 1865-1876
Specifications
Mintages
1880-1896
Varieties of 1880: Three date varieties exist for 1880. The first has a narrow 0 in the date, while the second and the third have a wide 0 in different positions.
Position of the Wide 0 would be either evenly placed or low compared to the other numbers.
Mintages
Edward VII 1904-1909
The reverse design was a slight modification of the Victorian reverse. Instead of the Imperial State Crown, it was replaced by St. Edward’s crown. The effigy of King Edward VII was similar to most Canadian coins of the era. The difference with the Newfoundland coinage is that the bust on the effigy is larger and the letter size in the legend is very small.
Specifications
Mintages
George V 1913-1936
The reverse for these coins is exactly the same as those for the Edward VII coins. The effigy of King George V was the same as the effigies for Canadian coins. Any coins that were manufactured at the Ottawa Mint have a C Mint Mark to signify it.
Specifications
Mintages
George VI 1938-1947
In 1937, the government of Newfoundland reviewed the option of converting to a smaller cent. The arguments in favour of it were cost-related. The new reverse would feature the
Pitcher plant
Pitcher plants are several different carnivorous plants which have modified leaves known as pitfall traps—a prey-trapping mechanism featuring a deep cavity filled with digestive liquid. The traps of what are considered to be "true" pitcher p ...
, a plant very native to Newfoundland, although many felt that the coin was too small and the plant had an unnatural look. During World War II, Newfoundland cents were manufactured in Ottawa rather than in England. This was done to avoid the risks of transatlantic shipping. Although coins manufactured in Ottawa between 1940 and 1947 have a C Mint Mark to signify that the coins were manufactured in Ottawa, the C Mint Mark does not exist on the 1940 and 1942 issues.
[Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian Coins, p. 37, W.K. Cross, 60th Edition, 2006]
Specifications
Mintages
The 1940 and 1941 both have re-engraved or repunched varieties. The whole date is sometimes visible as re-engraved and sometimes only the 4 followed by the 0 or 1. Numbers of the re engraved 1940 and 1941 struck are included in the overall mintage figures. Re-engraved varieties are much rarer and are therefore more desirable to collectors.
References
{{Canadian_currency_and_coinage
0.01
One-cent coins