Newfoundland fifty cents facts for kids
The Newfoundland fifty cent piece was the last denomination to be added to the Victorian coinage. Its first year of issue was 1870. The laureate portrait is stylistically unlike anything used for the rest of British North America. The denomination became very popular and assumed importance after the failure of the Commercial and Union Banks of Newfoundland during the financial crisis of 1894.
Laureated portrait, 1870-1900
Specifications
| Designer and Engraver | Composition | Weight | Diameter | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leonard Charles Wyon | .925 silver, .075 copper | 11.78 grams | 29.85 mm | Reeded |
Mintages
| Date and Mint Mark | Mintage |
|---|---|
| 1870 | 50,000 |
| 1872H | 48,000 |
| 1873 | 37,675 |
| 1874 | 80,000 |
| 1876H | 28,000 |
| 1880 | 24,000 |
| 1881 | 50,000 |
| 1882H | 100,000 |
| 1885 | 40,000 |
| 1888 | 20,000 |
| 1894 | 40,000 |
| 1896 | 60,000 |
| 1898 | 79,607 |
| 1899 | 150,000 |
| 1900 | 150,000 |
The 1896 has two varieties: with a Large W or Small W in 'Newfoundland' on the obverse. The 1898 has a couple of varieties: Obverse 1 with a Large W and Obverse 2 with a Small W. It is debated if there is an Obverse 1 with a Small W. The 1899 has two varieties: a Wide 99 or a Narrow 99. Sometimes only one of the 9's may be noticeably smaller than the other numbers.
Edward VII, 1904-1909
Specifications
| Designer (Obverse) | Designer (Reverse) | Composition | Weight | Diameter | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George William de Saulles | W.H.J. Blakemore | .925 silver, .075 copper | 11.78 grams | 29.85 mm | Reeded |
Mintages
| Date and Mint Mark | Mintage |
|---|---|
| 1904H | 140,000 |
| 1907 | 100,000 |
| 1908 | 160,000 |
| 1909 | 200,000 |
George V, 1911-1919
Specifications
| Designer | Composition | Weight (1911) | Weight (1917–1919) | Diameter (1911) | Diameter (1917–1919) | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sir Edgar Bertram MacKennal | .925 silver, .075 copper | 11.78 grams | 11.66 grams | 29.85 mm | 29.72 mm | Reeded |
Mintages
| Date and Mint Mark | Mintage |
|---|---|
| 1911 | 200,000 |
| 1917C | 375,560 |
| 1918C | 294,824 |
| 1919C | 306,267 |
