Catalog
2 Dollars
| Issuer | Union Bank of Newfoundland |
|---|---|
| Year | 1882 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Rectangular |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | UNION BANK OF NEWFOUNDLAND SAINT JOHNS 1st May 1882 We promise to pay the Bearer on demand TWO DOLLARS CURRENCY IN SPECIE |
| Reverse description | Entirely engraved in green, the reverse presents an elaborate guilloche framework with four ornate corner rosettes and a central oval bearing the inscription UNION BANK OF NEWFOUNDLAND above the numeral 2. Large numeral 2 vignettes appear at left and right within the decorative border. Printer's imprint AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY NEW YORK appears top and bottom. |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Log in to see details |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
The Union Bank of Newfoundland was chartered in 1854 and operated as one of the colony's two dominant commercial banks until its absorption into the Bank of Montreal in 1901. By 1882, Newfoundland remained outside Canadian Confederation — it would not join until 1949 — meaning this note circulated under a distinct colonial monetary regime, legally separate from the Dominion of Canada's banking framework.
The American Bank Note Company contract for this series is consistent with ABNC's near-monopoly on colonial and private bank printing across North America in this period. Newfoundland's geographic isolation made New York the practical choice over any local press.