2018-06-19 Tue

Newfoundland is a large Canadian island off the east coast of the North American mainland, and the most populous part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Long settled by indigenous peoples of the Dorset culture, the island was visited by the Icelandic Viking Leif Eriksson in the 11th century, who called the new land "Vinland".

The next European visitors to Newfoundland were Portuguese, Basque, Spanish, French and English migratory fishermen. On August 5, 1583, Sir Humphrey Gilbert claimed Newfoundland as England's first overseas colony under Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth I of England, thus officially establishing a forerunner to the much later British Empire. Newfoundland is considered Britain's oldest colony.

Newfoundland Island is famous for the Norse archaeological site L'Anse aux Meadows, reputed settlement of Viking explorer Leif Erikson, the Gros Morne National Park on the Gulf of St Lawrence, has cliffs, waterfalls and glacial fjords. Its south-eastern capital city, St. John’s is known for the 17th-century Signal Hill citadel, with a hillside walking trail.

The dollar was the currency of the colony and dominion of Newfoundland from 1865 until 1949 when Newfoundland became a province of Canada. It was subdivided into 100 cents. The Newfoundland dollar was replaced by the Canadian dollar at par when Newfoundland joined Canada in 1949.

Depicted besides is a popular 1920 Government of Newfoundland 1 Dollar Bill. The note specifications are as follows:

Obverse: Each note has a portrait of King George V and the right-hand side of the note shows a blue vignette of a caribou. The reverse has the Great Seal of Newfoundland at centre, Steam Frigate in a stormy sea at left, Anchor against rocks at right.

Image Courtesy: worldbanknoteandcoins.com