Newfoundland year 1897 – 2 c. Royal family stamp

Newfoundland year 1897 – 2 c. Royal family stamp

The 2 cent stamp depicting the Royal Family issued by Newfoundland in 1897 has the following key details:

Design:

• The central design shows the portrait busts of Queen Victoria and her family members in an oval frame.
• The portraits include Victoria, her son the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII), and grandsons Princes Albert Victor and George (later George V).
• The frame is surrounded by ornate designs and the name “NEWFOUNDLAND” arched at the top.

Color:

• The stamp was printed in a bright orange shade.

Printing Method:

• Engraved intaglio printing by the American Bank Note Company.

Perforation:

• The stamps had perforation gauge 12.

Purpose:

• The 2 cent value satisfied the domestic printed matter rate within Newfoundland at the time of issue.
• It would have been used to mail newspapers, circulars, books etc.

Rarity:

• While not considered a great rarity overall, the 1897 2c Royal Family stamp is much scarcer in very fine, well-centered condition with decent margins around the oval design.
• Centered used examples canceled with clear strikes also command a premium.

The 1897 Royal Family design marked a departure from previous more symbolic or pictorial stamps of Newfoundland. It became part of a new definitive set celebrating Queen Victoria’s long reign in the colonial Dominion. The stamp remains quite popular today among collectors of classic era Newfoundland issues before it joined Canada in 1949.