High, Re-Engraved W, Narrow 89
1894 Newfoundland 50 Cents · Victoria
The second of these varieties is somewhat scarcer than the previously listed example, and this is particularly true of coins discovered in higher grades! It does not have as many features as its companion, but this in itself also helps to identify this particular variety. Again, the most noticeable difference can be seen with the spacing between the 8 and 9 in the date. In this case, the Gap between these two numbers is perceptibly Narrower than that of the aforementioned variation. Also, the W on the Obverse has been Re-engraved, however, this time, it has been positioned slightly Higher than the rest of the lettering. This has effectively combined it with the remnants of the Original digit, which has resulted in it being positioned very close to the base of the Queen's Portrait.
How rare is it?
In Barry's survey of 259 coins from 1894, 87 were this variety (33.6%). That projects to about 13,436 of the 40,000 struck.
From Barry's population report of February 2020 (see the full 1894 report). How the reports work.
All photographs
Every photograph of this coin.
Cite this page
Borsellino, Barry M. “1894 Newfoundland 50 Cents, TYPE II: High, Re-Engraved "W", Narrow "89".” Newfoundland Coin Varieties, https://www.nfldcurrency.ca/fifty-cents/1894/type-ii/.
Text and photographs © Barry M. Borsellino, shared under CC BY-NC 4.0.