Newfoundland pieces feature a bust of Queen Victoria.

Filed under Gold and Platinum on eBay

Newfoundland Two Dollars Gold, 1882H, ICCS MS-60! US $681.09 End Date: Saturday Mar-13-2010 22:11:56 PST Add to watch list

1888 NEWFOUNDLAND 2 DOLLAR GOLD UNC CANADA US $399.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Mar-14-2010 18:47:34 PDT Add to watch list

CANADA Newfoundland/NFLD 1881 $2 Dollar Gold Coin US $152.50 (6 Bids) End Date: Monday Mar-15-2010 13:18:29 PDT Add to watch list

NEWFOUNDLAND 1885 2 DOLLAR GOLD VERY HIGH QUALITY W99 US $350.00 (1 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Mar-16-2010 17:51:10 PDT Add to watch list

1885 NEWFOUNDLAND TWO DOLLAR GOLD $2 ICCS AU-55 US $181.50 (3 Bids) End Date: Wednesday Mar-17-2010 17:56:01 PDT Add to watch list

RARE Newfoundland Gold 2 Dollars Coin ICCS MS- 62 1882H US $1,315.40 End Date: Sunday Mar-21-2010 6:08:05 PDT Add to watch list

RARE Newfoundland Gold 2 Dollars Coin ICCS MS- 63 1885 US $4,384.68 End Date: Sunday Mar-21-2010 6:13:18 PDT Add to watch list

RARE Newfoundland Gold 2 Dollars Coin ICCS MS- 62 1885 US $1,752.90 End Date: Sunday Mar-21-2010 6:32:13 PDT Add to watch list

RARE Newfoundland Gold 2 Dollars Coin ICCS MS- 60 1881 US $2,435.94 End Date: Sunday Mar-21-2010 6:35:43 PDT Add to watch list

1999 Canada Gold $100 Newfoundland Proof .2500 oz AGW US $379.00 End Date: Sunday Mar-28-2010 20:56:18 PDT Add to watch list

Filed under Provincial on eBay

Before Canada became a confederation in 1867, most of the gold coins that were used were actually manufactured in Great Britain, Portugal, France and Spain. The first gold coins to be minted in Canada were produced in Newfoundland and were a series of two-dollar gold pieces. The only reason that such coins were minted in denominations of just two-dollars was the belief that since gold was too small, it would easily get lost. The imprinting of such gold coins used dies that were developed in London and included a portrait of Victoria, the word ‘NEWFOUNDLAND’ and the abbreviation D. G. REG., which meant ‘By the grace of God, Queen.’ The reverse of the die contained the date of manufacture along with the value of the coin inscribed in one of three ways viz. ‘2 DOLLARS’, ‘ONE HUNDRED PENCE’ and ‘TWO HUNDRED CENTS.’

Since Newfoundland did not have a mint of its own, these gold coins were all minted in England. These two-dollar pieces were produced in 1865, 1870, 1872, 1880, 1881, 1885 and 1888 by the Royal Mint of England and in 1982 by a private minting firm owned by Ralph Heaton and Sons in Birmingham. These 1882 coins bear a small ‘H’ below the date to denote this aspect. During the first and second world wars and just before Newfoundland’s entry into the Confederation, the Mint in Ottawa used to strike the gold coins for Newfoundland. On account of many reasons, these gold Newfoundland coins are considered to be quite rare even today.

Such Newfoundland gold coins were valued at higher rates than the gold used to manufacture many other coins at the same time. This was mainly due to two factors viz. the higher unit cost of these Newfoundland coins and the higher demand of these coins at the time in Canada.