Wide Date, Portrait 1, Small "w"
1898 Newfoundland 50 Cents · Victoria
The second of these varieties also has a Wide Date and bears the Portrait 1 effigy of Victoria, however, in this instance, these coins were struck with a Smaller Letter "w", in the word "NEWFOUNDLAND". It appears that the mint had used one of the older Obverse 1 dies for the production of these particular coins! Many individuals have difficulty recognizing the differences between the Portrait 1 and 2 Obverses. However, with respect to the 1898 coinage, there is also a minor difference between the positioning of the "8" between these last two varieties. In this case, the "8" is a little Lower in the date, leaving the Gap between it and the Ornamental Ring, a little Narrower than that of the next variation. Finally, this variety is extremely rare and seldom found in any condition.
Key details
Reference photographs
Every coin of this variety in Barry's study, with all of its photographs. Use these to confirm a match.