NEW BOOK: NEWFOUNDLAND NUMISMATICS

Newfoundland Numismatics
A Collection of Essays
by Christopher Faulkner, David Bergeron, Paul Berry, and Markus Molenda

Six essays on Newfoundland numismatics trace late eighteenth to late nineteenth-century coins, tokens, and paper scrip.

The essays collected in this volume came together when it was determined that four of us were independently working on some of the mysteries of the numismatics of Newfoundland across a hundred year period between the late eighteenth and late nineteenth centuries. The research represented by the six essays collected here should be considered groundbreaking because it introduces some completely new monetary issues for Newfoundland and unpacks the mysteries surrounding others.

Heralded in 1905 as an important numismatic discovery related to Canada and later demonized as an utter fraud, Spanish American dollars countermarked GR 5 ORD have known a chequered past. Paul Berry's "The Ordnance Dollars of Newfoundland" identifies the parties responsible for their production, proposes where and when they were distributed, and reveals the dollars' surprising connection to Britain's oldest colony in Canada. It catalogues known examples in their many varieties and using numismatic and non-numismatic references, collection databases, and digital sales records traces their appearance over the last hundred plus years among some of the hobby's most prominent dealers and collectors.

The Peter McAuslane farthing-size token for St. John's which advertises "All Sorts of Shop & Store Goods" is said to have been issued in 1844, then suffered destruction by fire in 1846, after which McAuslane left Newfoundland for Ontario. This has been the accepted wisdom about McAuslane and his token for the past 150 years. Unfortunately, none of it is true. By drawing upon primary sources and private correspondence with descendants, Christopher Faulkner provides new biographical information about McAuslane, establishes the real date of the token's issue, and discusses its circulation. The article includes a census, provenance, and sales history of surviving examples of an extremely rare token.

Using contemporary references, newspaper articles, and court documents, Paul Berry sets Newfoundland's iconic Rutherford halfpenny tokens, Breton 952 and 953, against the changing fortunes of the Rutherford family businesses at St. John's and Harbour Grace from the early 1840s to the mid 1860s. The different issues are explained and illustrated, changes to current reference catalogues are proposed and, for the first time, using measurable physical characteristics, the tokens are placed in a plausible order of issue.

"Fresh Fish" by Christopher Faulkner establishes the heretofore unconfirmed dates of issue of the token traditionally listed for Prince Edward Island as Breton 917 and colloquially known as the "Fish halfpenny" or the "Success to the Fisheries" token. Contrary to received numismatic opinion, contemporary documentation confirms that the token was first issued for Prince Edward Island, and a second issue of the token was struck some years later for circulation in Newfoundland. As a result of this research, the author argues that henceforth Breton 917 should be considered a double-island token rather than a token for Prince Edward Island alone.

In "Oysters by the Barrel," Markus Molenda proposes a solution to the riddle of the HEAD QUARTERS SALOON / GADF token listed by D.T. Batty (1878) as 4093E. Early reports had placed the token in the Canadian Maritimes, but the exact location of the saloon, its owner, and the meaning of GADF have remained a mystery to this day. Molenda's discovery of contemporary advertisements and other relevant documents now allow for the attribution of the token to a short-lived oyster saloon in St. John's, Newfoundland, consistent with a reasonable interpretation of the GADF inscription. Moreover, due to the short period of operation of the saloon, the token can now be dated to 1860-61, making it a previously unrecognized Canadian pre-Confederation token. The article presents the above research, explores the known history of the saloon and its owner, and concludes with a catalogue of the known examples of the token.

In his article, David Bergeron examines the notes of the Betts Cove Mining Company issued for use in the eponymous copper-mining town located in Notre Dame Bay, Newfoundland. The few notes extant are not signed and no specifics are available about their printing, circulation, and redemption. Following an informed overview of the copper mining industry in Newfoundland and the introduction of Baron Franz von Ellershausen, owner of the Betts Cove Mining Company and likely issuer of the elusive notes, this richly illustrated article attempts to determine who printed the notes and unravel many of the anomalies in their design in order to establish a proper system of classification.

For more information, or to order, see:
Newfoundland Numismatics (https://www.penandswordbooks.com/9781036159337/newfoundland-numismatics/)

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