1865 Newfoundland

Newfoundland #24 is a 2-cent green stamp from Newfoundland's First Cents Issue of 1865, engraved and printed by the American Bank Note Company of New York. The design features a finely detailed Atlantic Cod against a horizontally lined background, with "Newfoundland" at top, "Two" running vertically along each side, and "Two Cents" at bottom. This was a significant departure from the earlier Pence Issues — both in currency and in design — marking Newfoundland's switch from the British pence system to a decimal cent system in 1865. Unlike the imperforate Pence Issues, this stamp is perforated, reflecting advances in stamp production during the intervening years.

The Atlantic Cod was the natural choice for this stamp — it was the foundation of Newfoundland's economy and the reason European settlers had come to the island in the first place. Cod fishing had drawn Portuguese, Basque, French, and English fishermen to the Grand Banks off Newfoundland's coast since the late 15th century, and by the 1860s the fishery still employed a large portion of the colony's population. Salted and dried cod from Newfoundland fed much of southern Europe and the Caribbean for centuries, making the humble fish one of the most economically important species in the history of the Atlantic world.

The First Cents Issue of 1865 represented a fresh start for Newfoundland philately. Printed in New York rather than London, the new stamps reflected Newfoundland's growing ties with North America and its move toward the decimal currency systems already adopted by Canada, the United States, and other nearby colonies. The series featured a variety of local subjects — codfish, harp seal, and portraits of royalty — giving it a distinctly Newfoundland character quite different from the heraldic designs of the Pence era. For collectors of British North America, the First Cents Issue marks the beginning of a new and equally rewarding chapter in Newfoundland philatelic history.