Newfoundland 1865 5 cents
This specimen was lot 24255 in Heritage sale 3032 (Chicago, April 2014), where it sold for $12,337.50. The catalog description[1] noted,
"An Incredibly Rare Specimen of Newfoundland. Victoria Specimen 5 Cents 1865, London mint, SP66 PCGS. Plain Edge - Medal Alignment. A glowing example, simply outstanding in presentation, with a mixture of rose and blue colors in the obverse centers and a blended array of fiery reds and oranges around the legends. The reverse, likely resting against a presentation box for decades, has acquired many of the same shades, only in less structured pattern. Interestingly, the dies used for this "specimen" strike, and that of the circulating type do contain one minor variation - the reverse die uses an Arabic "1" in the date, a trait that apparently was absent from this denomination until the strikings of 1872. An extreme rarity in the Newfoundland series with fine business strikes remaining elusive, but presentation pieces such as this rarely being offered. If fact, a scan of major sales across a period of two decades yields no comparables - none were represented in Norweb, Pittman, Belzberg, or Canadiana.
The Prager Collection has allowed for the an unprecedented side-by-side study of some of the rarest pattern and specimen issues of early Newfoundland. From these, the 1865 issues are particularly intriguing. Specifically, the Arabic '1' on the 5 cent specimen and usage of portrait NF2 on the 10 cent specimen suggests a production date in the early 1870s. While this evidence is far from conclusive, we hope this notation will spur further scholarly research on the topic. From The Prager Collection of Canadian Specimen Coins."
This type was struck for Newfoundland 1865-1901 and many of the later dates are common. This early plain edge proof is rare.
Recorded mintage: 80,000 plus proofs.
Specification: 1.17 g, 0.925 fine silver, .035 troy oz ASW, reeded edge.
Catalog reference: KM 2.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Cross, W. K., The Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian Coins, 62nd Ed., Toronto: Charlton International, 2008.
- [1]Bierrenbach, Cristiano, Warren Tucker and David Michaels, Heritage World and Ancient Coins Auction 3032, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2014.
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