Catalog
2 Bits Center hole in Spanish 2 Reales
| Issuer | Government of Dominica (British Colony) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1816 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 6.77 g |
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| Obverse description | The obverse displays the annular outer ring of a Spanish colonial 2 Reales host coin, its central field entirely removed by a circular punch to create the characteristic holed planchet used for Dominican currency. The surviving annular band retains the milled outer edge of the host coin and bears the royal Latin legend +PHILIPPUS+V+D+G+ (Philip V, by the Grace of God), with cross-shaped ornamental stops separating the inscription elements. At the uppermost point of the ring, a royal crown device from the original host coin's design remains visible, serving as a prominent decorative element within the legend. The lettering and remaining devices are bold and well-defined, characteristic of the milled coinage of the Spanish colonial mint. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Reeded |
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| Additional information |
When coinage shortages became acute across the British Caribbean in the early nineteenth century, colonial administrators resorted to countermarking and mutilating Spanish colonial silver rather than waiting on London for proper issues. Dominica's solution — punching the center from circulating Spanish 2 Reales and revaluing both the ring and the plug — was one of several such expedients adopted across different islands, each with its own authorized mark. The 1816 date reflects the year of official authorization for this particular host coin type, not a minting year for Dominica itself.