From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Coins of the Canadian dollar
Coins of the Canadian dollar
Canadian coinage is the coinage of Canada, produced by oring as the Canadian $1 coin, the "loonie", although this
the Royal Canadian Mint and denominated in Canadian proved to be a non-issue.
dollars ($) or cents (¢).
Changes in coinage
Denominations The most significant recent developments in Canadian
There are seven denominations of Canadian coinage cir- coinage were the introduction of $1 and $2 coins. The $1
culating: 1¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, and $2. Though officially coin (the "loonie") -- was released in 1987. The $1 ban-
titled the One Cent Piece, Five Cent Piece, Ten Cent Piece, knote would remain in issue and in circulation alongside
Twenty-Five Cent Piece, Fifty Cent Piece, One Dollar Coin the one dollar coin for the next two years, until it was
and Two Dollar Coin; they are colloquially referred to as withdrawn in 1989. The coin was to be the voyageur-de-
the penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half-dollar, loonie, and sign silver (then nickel) dollar coins that had previously
toonie respectively. The Fifty Cent Piece, though in circu- been in limited circulation. The dies were lost/stolen(?)
lation, is far less circulated than the other coins. Between in Nov 1986, requiring a redesign. The new coin is collo-
the years 2000 and 2007 the Royal Canadian Mint struck quially called the "loonie," for the common loon on its
15,950,000 Fifty Cent Pieces; in comparison, during the reverse, and the name is frequently applied to the cur-
same period 2,262,165,000 Twenty-Five Cent Pieces were rency unit as well. It is made of nickel plated with au-
released (approximately 142 times as many). reate bronze. The $2 coin, carrying a polar bear, was in-
Other than the Two Dollar Coin, the denominations troduced in 1996, is called by analogy the "toonie" or the
of Canadian coinage correspond to those of United States "doubloonie"or "two loonies (toonie)" and is bimetallic.
coinage. The sizes of the coins less than 50¢ are similar to The $2 banknote was withdrawn at the same time that
those of U.S. coins, though this was not always the case. the coin was released. Unlike several U.S. attempts to in-
While the coins tend to have diameters almost equal to troduce a dollar coin, the new coins were quickly accept-
the equivalent U.S. coinage, most of the coins are thin- ed by the public, owing largely to the fact that the mint
ner and weigh less than the equivalent U.S. coinage. The and government forced the switch by removing the $1
US penny settled on its current size in 1857, whereas the and $2 bills from circulation.
Canadian penny was much larger (25.4 mm/1 inch) until Between 1997 and 2001, the One Dollar Loon coin was
1920. There was some correspondence between the size not issued for general circulation. Due to the high de-
of Canadian coins and British coins of similar value. For mand for the Two Dollar Polar Bear coin (mintages be-
example, the large Canadian penny was identical in size tween 1997 and 2001 were as high as 29 million in 2000
and value to the contemporary British half-penny, which alone), the dollar coin was only produced for the stan-
were 25.4 mm in the Edward VII version, and slightly dard collector sets that were made available on an annual
larger during Victoria’s reign. Likewise, the Canadian basis, such as the Uncirculated, O Canada, Specimen and
quarter (23.81 mm diameter) was virtually identical in Proof sets.
size and value to the British shilling (worth ~24 Canadian The Canadian government has occasionally consid-
cents, or 12 British pennies, with a 24 mm diameter). The ered the possibility of eliminating the 1¢ coin from cir-
Canadian 5 cent coin, until the larger nickel coins of 1922, culation,[1] though as of early 2007 no serious discussion
were 15 mm silver coins quite different from the US Lib- has been undertaken about dropping the coin. Likewise,
erty Head Nickels of 1883-1913, which were 21.2 mm and rumours that the government was considering a $5 coin
copper/nickel alloy. to replace the bill have yet to be realized.
Modest quantities of U.S. coinage circulate in Canada
at par, and some Canadian coins (generally those with
value less than fifty cent) circulate in the United States as
Production
well, though recent changes to the appearance and com- Canadian coins are issued by the Royal Canadian Mint
position of Canadian coinage have made acceptance of and struck at their facilities in Winnipeg. All special
these coins by merchants in the United States less cer- wording on commemorative coins appears in both of
tain. This partial interchangeability led to some concern Canada’s languages, English and French. All of the stan-
when the United States Mint decided that the new Saca- dard wording on the reverse sides of non-commemora-
gawea Dollar coin would have the same diameter and col- tive coins is identical in both languages. On the obverse
sides, the name and title of the Canadian Monarch appear
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Coins of the Canadian dollar
in an abbreviated-Latin circumscription. Currently, this In 1907, Heaton’s Mint struck its last issue of Canadi-
reads "ELIZABETH II D. G. REGINA." The initials stand for an coins - the 1907H 1¢, which is quite scarce. In 1908,
"Dei Gratia;" the entire phrase means "Elizabeth II, by the the Royal Canadian Mint at Ottawa was opened. At that
Grace of God, Queen." time the Ottawa mint was known as the Royal Mint, Ot-
The Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics commemora- tawa branch. The name "Royal Canadian Mint" was first
tive quarters have dropped the inscription "D.G. used in 1931.
REGINA," and they read "CANADA ELIZABETH II," along The reverse design on the 10¢ coins include several
with the date of issue and Ilanaaq, the emblem of the varieties in relation to the leaves.
games.
King George V coinage
History This coinage is known as the "Godless" coinage, because
the abbreviation "DEI GRA", (for "DEI GRATIA" or "[king]
Coins of the Colonies by the grace of God"), was omitted from King George V’s
titles. When the public noticed this, there was a huge out-
Beginning in 1858, various colonies of British North cry at this breach of tradition, and the phrase was later
America started issuing their own coins denominated in restored. All the coins from the 1¢ to 50¢ were issued. The
cents, featuring the likeness of Queen Victoria on the ob- 50¢ is the scarcest of all the coins minted in 1911 with
verse. These replaced the sterling coins previously in cir- a mintage of 209,972.[4] The Canadian Coin News publi-
culation. The Province of Canada was the first to issue cation printed an article showing a well-worn 1911 50¢
decimal coins. They were based on the value of the Amer- example that did have the "DEI GRA" abbreviation.[5] As
ican dollar, due to an influx of American silver.[2] Denom- of yet, this coin has not been certified as genuine, hav-
inations issued were 1¢, 5¢, 10¢, and 20¢. The 1¢ coin was ing been rejected by ICCS, the popular Canadian grad-
issued again in 1859, but it was very unpopular due to ing company. The 1911 pattern dollar coin was produced
its extremely light weight. The coins had to be discount- with the ’DEI GRA’ abbreviation on the 2 known silver ex-
ed by around 20% to get them into circulation. Other amples and the 1 known example in lead.
colonies that issued decimal coinage were New Gold coins for circulation (earlier rejected "for fear of
Brunswick and Nova Scotia both starting in 1861, New- committing a breach of the Royal Prerogative")[3] were
foundland in 1865, and Prince Edward Island in 1871. issued from 1912 to 1914 only, in $5 and $10 denomi-
In 1867, the British parliament passed the British nations,[6] though sovereigns, to British standards, were
North America Act, uniting the Province of Canada, Nova issued in small quantities for some years; reissue plans
Scotia, and New Brunswick into the Dominion of Canada. were dropped in 1928.[6]
Coins of the three former colonies continued to circulate In 1920, The fineness of the silver coins was changed
until 1870, with all being legal tender in all provinces of from .925 fine silver to .800 fine silver, and the size of
the Dominion.[3] As other colonies subsequently entered the cent was reduced.[3] In 1921, the last silver 5¢ coins
confederation, they dropped their colonial coinage and were struck. These are extremely rare, numbering less
adopted the national Canadian currency. than 400. These were replaced in 1922, by a larger nickel
coin, copying an earlier change in the United States.
Queen Victoria coinage There are a few scarce dates, especially the 1925 and
In 1870, the first national coinage of the Dominion of the 1926. There are two types of the 1926: the "near 6"
Canada was issued in denominations of 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, and type, which has the tail of the 6 lower down and near to
50¢. A 1¢ coin was not issued until 1876.[3] The designs the maple leaf, and the rarer "far 6" type. The 1921 50¢
were standardized with the head of Queen Victoria on is also an extremely rare coin. It is the rarest of the King
the obverse, value and date with a crowned maple wreath George V series.
reverse, except for the 1¢ coin, which had on its reverse The first Canadian silver $1 coin was issued as a com-
a maple vine circlet.[3] memorative coin in 1935 to commemorate King George
V’s Silver Jubilee. The portrait of the King on this coin
King Edward VII coinage was the same as that of the coins of several other coun-
In 1902, the first coins of King Edward VII’s coinage was tries. This coin also bears the famous coureur des bois de-
issued. The 1902 5¢ coin is of interest to collectors, as sign, which was designed by Emmanuel Hahn. This coin,
its design includes the outmoded St. Edward’s Crown in- and others issued since with this reverse design, have the
stead of the Imperial State Crown. These coins were affectionate nickname of "voyageur dollars".
hoarded upon being issued, as the public believed that an King George V died on January 20, 1936, and was suc-
error had been made. In 1903, the design on the 5¢ was ceeded by King Edward VIII. Because his abdication oc-
modified accordingly. curred before production of any Canadian coinage with
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Coins of the Canadian dollar
his likeness could commence, no Canadian coins bear his trices to arrive from the Royal Mint, the decision was
image. made to strike 1947-dated coinage, but a maple leaf sym-
In 1937, There was a pressing demand for 1¢, 10¢, and bol would be added next to the date to indicate that the
25¢ coins, but as the Royal Canadian Mint was waiting for coins were actually struck in 1948. The silver $1 exists in
new tools and matrices to arrive from the Royal Mint, the two types: "tall 7" and "short 7". The voyageur $1 is al-
decision was made to strike coins dated 1936, but a dot so the rarest coin. The 1¢ is the most common coin. The
would be added in the area near the date to indicate that 1¢ exists as two varieties, "blunt 7" and "pointed 7". The
the coins were struck in 1937. The 1¢ and 10¢ coins with blunt 7 is scarcer and thus more valuable. The upper part
the dot are excessively rare, so rare in fact that only four of the 7 near the maple twig is slightly blunted compared
or five specimens are known.[7] In 2004, a "Dot cent", as to the normally found pointed variety. The pointed 7 is
they are sometimes called, sold at auction for $207,000. actually the same as used on the 1947 regular-issue 1¢.
The one cent coin was sold again in the Canadiana sale The 50¢ coin also exists with two "7" varieties. While fair-
for $400,000 while an example of the ten cent piece with ly scarce, the curved left (or straight) 7 is much more
the dot sold for $184,000.[8] The 25¢ coin, while not in the common than the curved right 7. The regular 1947 50¢
same class with the cent and ten cent piece, is still a very coins also came with left and right curved 7 numerals.
difficult coin to find. These 1947 varieties without the maple leaf are similar-
ly valued except for the curved right 7 in extremely high
King George VI coinage grade. The 1947 maple leaf 5¢, 10¢, and 25¢ do not have
In late 1937, the tools and matrices finally arrived from notable varieties and are all fairly common coins.
London, so the issue of the new coins of the reign of King
King George VI royal coinage (1948-52)
George VI was struck immediately. The coins’ current de-
signs date from this period. The coins were as follows: The new tools and matrices arrived from London, so the
• 1 Cent - A twig with two maple leaves. (Designer: issuing of the Maple Leaf coinage ceased as a result. The
George Kruger-Gray). obverse of the coins is inscribed GEORGIVS VI DEI GRATIA
REX (George VI by the Grace of God, King). During the is-
• 5 Cents - A beaver sitting on a log. (Designer: George
Kruger-Gray). sue of this coinage, a commemorate silver $1 was struck
• 10 Cents - The famous Nova Scotian racing yacht in 1949 to commemorate Newfoundland becoming the
Bluenose. (Designer: Emmanuel Hahn) tenth province of Canada. The 1948 coins are very scarce,
• 25 Cents - A caribou’s head. (Designer: Emmanuel especially the 50¢ and the silver $1. This is due to the
Hahn) slow delivery of the modified tools and matrices from
• 50 Cents - The Coat-of-Arms of Canada. (Designer: London.
George Kruger-Gray). In this coinage, there are several notable varieties.
• 1 Dollar - Voyageur. (Designer: Emmanuel Hahn). The first of these is the 1950 "no lines in 0" 50¢ coin.
There was also a silver $1 that was issued in 1939 to com- The most famous variety of this series is the "Arnprior
memorate the Royal Visit. This was also designed by Em- Dollar", which has one and a half waterlines near the
manuel Hahn. bow of the canoe instead of the normal three waterlines.
During World War II, the demand for nickel for the This variety is named after the town of Arnprior, Ontario,
war effort was great enough for the 5 cent coin to be is- where this variety was discovered.
sued in tombac instead.
Canada’s George VI cents and nickels are the only re- Queen Elizabeth II coinage
maining George VI coinage in any nation that remains in Several series of coins issued under the reign of Elizabeth
circulation and has not been either demonetized or effec- II, including the current series. The first was the
tively withdrawn from circulation due to precious metal 1953-1964 coins. In 1959, the 50¢ piece was redesigned.
content. In 1968, the 10¢ and higher denominations were debased,
their silver alloy being replaced by nickel. The dime of
1947 Maple Leaf coinage 1969 has two varieties, a large 9 (rare) and small 9 (com-
Main article: 1947 Maple Leaf mon). In 1973, an RCMP quarter came out; it also has two
Through 1947 the George VI coins bore the inscription varieties, a large bust(rare) and small bust (common).
GEORGIVS VI D:G: REX ET IND:IMP: ("Georgius VI, Dei Gratia, In 1987, the loonie was introduced, replacing the
Rex et Indiae Imperator", or "George VI, by the grace of voyageur dollar with a new design, new colour, and
God, King and Emperor of India"). But as India became smaller size. This coin also replaced the $1 bill, which was
independent that year as the Dominion of India and the subsequently withdrawn from circulation by the Bank of
Dominion of Pakistan, "Emperor of India" needed to be Canada. In February 1996, the $2 coin, or toonie, was re-
dropped from the coinage. However, there was a demand leased; it currently has three varieties. (Early examples
for coinage. So, while waiting for the new tools and ma- had problems with the centres being punched out in cir-
3
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Coins of the Canadian dollar
culation.) The toonie replaced the $2 bill. To date there even if the red poppy has worn off or been removed;
have been four different obverse portraits of the Queen however it is now expected that fully coloured specimens
used on Canadian coinage, with new portraits introduced will become collectible in the future.
in 1953, 1965, 1990 and 2003. Prior to 1990, the Queen’s In an isolated incident in the United States these
portraits (1953 by Mary Gillick and 1965 by Arnold coins were briefly reported as a possible ’spy tool’ by
Machin) were designed by the British Royal Mint, and some US Defense Contractors unfamiliar with the odd-
were similar to those used on British, Australian and New seeming coin and raised espionage warnings until the sit-
Zealander coinage. The 1990 and 2003 portraits are de- uation was clairified.[10][11]
signed by Canadian artists, 1990 effigy by Dora dePedery- On May 4, 2005 the Mint unveiled a new "Victory
Hunt and 2003 effigy by Susanna Blunt, and are unique to nickel", reminiscent of the original issued during the Se-
Canadian coinage. cond World War. The new coin commemorated the 60th
In 2000 all coins below $1 were changed to steel with anniversary of the Allied victory in World War II. A
copper or nickel plating. Unfortunately, there have been mintage of 59,258,000 Victory nickels were produced and
some problems with compatibility between the new treated as regular circulation coins.[12]
coins and coin-operated devices like vending machines In 2005, 25¢ and $5 coins commemorating the centen-
and public telephones. The 50¢ piece is regularly minted, nial of two of Canada’s provinces were released: the coin
but not in large quantities; it is very rare to come across for Alberta represents oil exploration in that province;
this coin in circulation, although an unsuccessful attempt the coin for Saskatchewan depicts a singing meadowlark
was made by the Mint to promote the use of the coin and a grain elevator. Later the same year, the Mint later
when a special edition was released in 2002 marking the issued a Year Of The Veteran coin to honour military vet-
50th anniversary of Elizabeth II ascending the throne. erans, again in the 25¢ denomination. On February 21,
2007, the mint announced that they would be producing
Special edition coins a 100 kilogram coin the size of a large pizza with a face
value of $1 million. This new coin bears the highest face
Although the Mint has produced many special edition value in the world, using approximately $2 million of
coins in recent years, Canada does have a history of such 99.999% pure bullion, and 5 were produced and sold to in-
coins. From 1943 to 1945, the Mint issued the "Victory vestors.[13][14][15]
nickel" to promote the Canadian war effort. In 1967, all
Canadian coins were issued with special reverses to cele-
brate the Canadian centennial. Six years later, a "Moun-
tie quarter" was issued in 1973 to commemorate the cen-
tennial of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
In recent years, the Mint has issued several series of
coins with special reverses. Most of them have been 25¢
coins, particularly in the years 1999–2001. There were al-
so versions of the $2 coin commemorating the founding
of Nunavut, and another with a family of polar bears;
there have been several variants of the $1 coin, one of
which featured the Canadian peacekeepers’ monument
in Ottawa to commemorate the award of the Nobel Peace
Prize. A commemorative Terry Fox $1 coin began circu-
lating on April 4, 2005.
On October 21, 2004, the Royal Canadian Mint un-
veiled a 25¢ poppy coin. This coin features a red poppy
(Papaver rhoeas) that is coloured red,embedded in the • The Alberta Centennial Coin
centre of a maple leaf above a banner reading "Remem- • Year of the Veteran
ber - Souvenir". It is the world’s first coloured coin. While • $1M 100kg gold coin
some countries’ mints have produced colourized coins
for market to collectors, this is the first colourized coin
in general circulation in the world.[9] Specifications
The Mint states that, with normal wear and tear, the Canadians coins have medallic orientation, like British or
colour should remain for a number of years, although euro coins, and unlike U.S. coins, which have coin orien-
this claim was quickly disproved. The colouration com- tation.
pounds are attached to the metal on a specially prepared
’dimpled’ section of the coin, and seem to come off easily
if deliberately rubbed. The coin will retain its full value
4
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Coins of the Canadian dollar
Canadian coins
Image Value Technical parameters Description Common
Obverse Reverse Diameter Thickness Mass Composition Edge Obverse Reverse name
1¢ 19.05 mm 1.45 mm 2.35 94% steel Plain Queen Maple Penny
g 1.5% nickel Elizabeth leaf (Fr. sou,
4.5% copper II cenne,
plating cenne
noire)
5¢ 21.2 mm 1.76 mm 4.3 g 94.5% steel Plain, formerly Queen Beaver Nickel
3.5% copper 12-sided Elizabeth
2% nickel II
plating
10¢ 18.03 mm 1.22 mm 1.75 92% steel Milled, formerly The Dime
g 5.5% copper 12-sided Bluenose
2.5% nickel
plating
25¢ 23.88 mm 1.58 mm 4.4 g 94% steel Caribou Quarter
3.8% copper
2.2% nickel
plating
50¢ 27.13 mm 1.95 mm 6.9 g 93.15% steel Canadian 50¢
4.75% cop- coat of piece,
per arms Half Dol-
2.1% nickel lar
plating
$1 26.5 mm 1.75 mm 7g 91.5% nickel Plain, eleven- Queen Common Loonie
11 8.5% bronze sided (all other Elizabeth loon (Fr. dollar,
curved plating circulating coins II huard)
sides (88% cop- are circular)
per, 12% tin)
$2 28 mm 1.8 mm 7.3 g Ring: 99% Intermittent Polar Toonie
nickel milled/smooth bear
Center: 92%
copper
6%
aluminium
2%
nickel
These images are to scale at 2.5 pixels per millimetre. For table standards, see the coin specification table.
Urban legends • The 50¢ piece is no longer minted and/or has been
withdrawn from circulation. The 50¢ coin circulates so
Several urban legends and other false information have little that many people have never personally seen
circulated regarding Canadian coinage. or handled one. Shop proprietors have been known
• The centre can pop out of a toonie. This is in fact true, to refuse to accept them as payment because they do
but only for coins struck in 1996. Many toonies in the not recognize them as Canadian currency. However,
first shipment of the coins were defective, and could the RCM continues to produce the 50¢ coin annually
separate if struck hard or frozen, as the centre piece for coin collections such as the Uncirculated,
would shrink more than the outside. This problem Specimen, and Proof Sets. Although the RCM does
was quickly corrected, and the initial wave of "toonie produce the coin in small numbers (in 2005, the
popping" blew over a few months after the coin’s mintage for the coins was 200,000, and the coins
introduction.[16] were not produced for circulation in 2003 and
5
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Coins of the Canadian dollar
Effigies
No Fold)
1953 - (No Shoulder Fold vs. Shoulder Fold The corona-
tion of a new Monarch meant a new Effigy. Due to an
issue with the portrait model for the new Queen Eliza-
beth, two obverse varieties, termed the No Shoulder Fold
and the Shoulder Fold obverses were found in circulation
during 1953. The portrait model was prepared in England
by a sculptress, Mary Gillick. The relief of this model was
too high. This had an impact on the new effigy because
the centre portion containing two lines on the shoulder
(representing a fold in the Queen’s gown) did not strike
up well on the coins. This obverse had been termed the
"No Shoulder Strap" variety by numismatists.
Later in 1953, Mint authorities decided to correct the
defects in the obverse design. Thomas Shingles, the Chief
Engraver of the RCM, was summoned to lower the relief
of the model. The result was that he had strengthened
the shoulder and hair detail. This revised obverse (often
called "The Shoulder Strap" variety due to the resem-
blance of the lines to a strap) was introduced before the
end of the year. This was accepted as the standard ob-
verse. Unfortunately, the No Shoulder Fold obverse saw
new life as it was used to produce some of the 1954 cents
for the Proof-like sets and a small quantity of 1955 cents
for circulation. The 1955 No Shoulder Fold Variety is the
most desired with collectors.
1965 - Starting in 1965, the Effigy of Her Majesty the
Queen underwent the first of three changes. This new ob-
verse featured the Queen with more mature facial fea-
tures. The wearing of a tiara was the other aspect of the
new effigy.
1990 - A new obverse debuted with the Queen now
wearing a diamond diadem and jewellery. Although the
effigy changed in 2003, this portrait with diadem is still
used on all Chinese Lunar New Year coins.
2004);[17] most of them are purchased by coin 2003 - To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the
collectors. The remainder go to banks, though most Coronation of Her Majesty the Queen, a new obverse was
do not give them out unless the customer specifically introduced. The unique feature of this effigy was that the
requests so. Given enough notice, any bank should Queen was now featured without headdress. This would
be able to obtain them in a significant quantity for mark the first time that the effigy of a Monarch did not
their customers. The 50¢ coin is also commonly wear headdress since Elizabeth’s father, King George VI,
handed out as regular change at some Canada Post a half-century earlier.
locations. An attempt at widening the circulation of
the 50-cent piece was made in 2002 with the release
of a specially designed coin marking the Golden
Mint Mark
Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, which was circulated In an effort to build the brand, the Royal Canadian Mint
through the Laura Secord store chain in Canada.[18] implemented a policy in which all its circulation and col-
• The crown is wrong in the Queen’s portrait. When the lector coins would bear a new Mint Mark. Unveiled at the
new coin portrait was first issued in 1990 (see above), Canadian Numismatic Association convention in Niagara
a legend surfaced that the artist had simply added Falls, Ontario in July 2006, the Mint Mark was a reproduc-
the image of a crown to a portrait of the Queen, and tion of the Royal Canadian Mint logo.
that she was never meant to be seen wearing that The first circulation coin to bear the new Mint Mark
headgear. This is patently false; she posed personally was the 10th Anniversary Two Dollar coin, illustrated by
for the portrait wearing one of her usual Tony Bianco. This would mean that the "P" Mint Mark
crowns.[citation needed] which recognized the plating technology would no
6
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Coins of the Canadian dollar
longer be used. For collectors, the first collector coin to again in 1951. Some of the steel coins were later discov-
feature the new Mint Mark was the Snowbirds Coin and ered to have only the nickel plating and had a grey rather
Stamp Set. than the usual "bluish" appearance. Until recently, this
variety did not command a premium price from collec-
Records tors, but the fact that some years are rarer than others
has started to generate interest in this variety.
In the Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian Coins,
the 1911 $1 coin is valued at $1 250 000. There are only
2 known specimens in sterling silver, and one specimen
References
in lead. One of the silver specimens and the lead speci- [1] "Canada needs to rework coinage system". The
men are located at the Bank of Canada’s currency muse- (Montreal) Gazette (Ottawa). 2008-04-09.
um, while the other is in a private collection. The rarity http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/
stems from the fact the federal government chose not story.html?id=9531a53f-25e7-4962-801d-
to proceed with producing a "silver dollar" in 1911. The b0ae09aefca1&k=73823. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
1911 coin sets were originally planned to include the $1, [2] Willey, R.C. "Coinage", in The Canadian Encyclopedia
but the sets came with an empty gap where the $1 coin (Edmonton: Hurtig Publishers, 1988), Volume 1,
was supposed to be. Canada wouldn’t issue a $1 circula- p.456.
tion coin until the 1935, when it issued a circulating dol- [3] ^ Willey, p.456.
lar commemorating George V Silver Jubilee. [4] The Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian
Among numismatists, the 1921 50-cent coin is consid- Coins, W.K. Cross, p.142, The Charlton Press,
ered the rarest Canadian circulation coin and is known Toronto, Canada, ISBN 0-88968-297-6
as The King of Canadian coins. As of 2012 a 1921 50 cents [5] Canadian Coin News, Trajan Publishing
in MS-65 condition is valued at $250,000 to $350,000. Corporation, December 2005
Despite a mintage of 206,398 coins, there was a very low [6] ^ Willey, p.457.
demand for 50-cent coins in the 1920s. The belief is that [7] Cross, Alison (2009-11-28). "Rare Canadian ’king of
most of the 50-cent coins from 1920 and 1921 were melt- pennies’ up for auction in New York". Windsor
ed (amounting to approximately 480,392 coins). The Star. http://www.windsorstar.com/life/
reason for the melting was that new coins were needed Rare+Canadian+king+pennies+auction+York/
for 1929 and if coins from 1920 and 1921 were released 2280958/story.html. Retrieved 2009-11-29.
into circulation, people would suspect counterfeit coins. [8] "Canada: George V 10 Cents 1936 Dot,... Canada".
According to legend, only 50 of these coins still exist Coins.ha.com. 2010-01-02. http://coins.ha.com/
(with only 3 known in mint state), and most of those are common/
from Specimen Sets that were sold to people who visited view_item.php?Sale_No=3008&Lot_No=20176.
the RC Mint. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
[9] The Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian
Victory Nickel Coins, W.K. Cross, p.135, The Charlton Press,
Toronto, Canada, ISBN 0-88968-297-6
(Tombac 1943-1944) (Steel 1944-1945) [10] Bridis, Ted, Mystery revealed: Poppy quarter led to
The five-cent piece underwent a design change for U.S. spy warnings May 7, 2007, retrieved May 7,
the first time since 1937 when the Beaver was first intro- 2007
duced. The new reverse featured a striking V design. In [11] CNN Canadian ’poppy coin’ culprit behind U.S. spy
the interest of promoting the war effort, the famous V warning, May 7, 2007, retrieved May 7, 2007
sign from Winston Churchill was adopted. Perhaps, the [12] 2005 Royal Canadian Mint Annual Report, page 38
most unusual aspect of this coin was the Morse Code. The [13] Mint’s new coin not exactly pocket change
meaning was "We Win When We Work Willingly". It is [14] Royal Canadian Mint, Press Release, Royal
not uncommon that the edge of the Steel versions of the Canadian Mint promotes new line of 99.999% pure
V Nickel were known to rust. gold bullion coins by unveiling world’s purest,
Due to high demands for copper and zinc during the largest and highest denomination gold coin May 3,
war effort, the use of Tombac was suspended. A new com- 2007 retrieved May 4, 2007
position of steel with .0127 mm plating of nickel and [15] The Million Dollar Coin – a true milestone in
.0003 mm plating of chromium was now the norm. minting
Unfortunately, the plating process of these coins meant [16] Royal Canadian Mint Guided Tour, August 2009.
that strips had to be plated before blanks were punched [17] The Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian
out. The end result was that the edges of the blanks were Coins, W.K. Cross, p.154, The Charlton Press,
unplated. Although the RCM would return to nickel after Toronto, Canada, ISBN 0-88968-297-6
WWII, the Korean war effort resulted in the use of steel
7
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Coins of the Canadian dollar
[18] Press release: "50-Cent Circlulation Coin http://books.google.com/
Commemorates Golden Jubilee", May 18, 2002 books?id=KKJA9Dz1qfQC&pg=PP1.
(archived here [1]) • David C. Harper; Harry Miller; Thomas Michael (16
• Coins of Canada by J.A. Haxby and R.C. Willey. August 2010). North American Coins & Prices: A Guide to
U.S., Canadian and Mexican Coins. F+W Media, Inc.
Further reading ISBN 9781440212864. http://books.google.com/
books?id=zJKy8Nle4V4C&pg=PP1.
• George S. Cuhaj; Thomas (CON) Michael (10
November 2010). Canadian Coin Digest. Krause
Publications. ISBN 9781440214363.
External links
http://books.google.com/ • Royal Canadian Mint Official site of the agency which
books?id=3NIhKoJx9TEC&pg=PP1. produces Canada’s money
• David C. Harper; Harry Miller; Thomas Michael • Canada Coin webpage
(2011). 2012 North American Coins & Prices. Krause • Information on Canadian Coins
Publications. ISBN 978-1-4402-1725-8. • Information on Canadian Coins (in French)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Coins_of_the_Canadian_dollar&oldid=465182246"
Categories:
• Coins of Canada
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