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2 Bits Center hole in Spanish 2 Reales
| Issuer | Government of Dominica (British Colony) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1816 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 2 Bits |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse presents the remaining annular band of the host Spanish colonial 2 Reales, with its central area punched out. The surviving ring retains the reeded outer edge and carries the royal Latin legend +HISPANIARUM+REX+ (King of the Spains), separated by cross-shaped ornamental stops, with the date 1723 prominently displayed at the top of the band. Vestiges of the host coin's crowned arms design are partially visible along the inner edge of the ring where the punch has truncated the original central devices. The bold, well-struck lettering and the date are fully legible, consistent with the milled output of the Seville (S) mint of Spain. |
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| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| 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.