Penny (Canadian coin)

Last updated

Penny
Canada
Value0.01 CAD
Mass2.35 g
Diameter19.05 mm
Thickness1.45 mm
EdgeSmooth
Composition
Years of minting1858–2012
Catalog numberCC 20
Obverse
Canadian Penny - Obverse.png
Design Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada
Designer Susanna Blunt
Design date2003
Design discontinued2013
Reverse
Canadian Penny - Reverse.png
Design Maple leaf branch
Designer G.E. Kruger Gray
Design date1937
Design discontinued2013

Pennies are a type of coinage that were minted between 1858 and 2012 for use in the Province of Canada, and later in Canada. Each coin is worth one cent, or 1⁄100 of a dollar. While the official term for the coin is one-cent piece, the terms penny and cent predominate likely due to their English origin. Like all Canadian coins, the obverse depicts the reigning Canadian monarch at the time of issue.

Contents

Etymology

According to the Royal Canadian Mint, the official term for the coin is the one-cent piece, but in practice the terms penny and cent predominate. Penny was likely readily adopted because the previous coinage in Canada (up to 1858) was the British monetary system, where Canada used British pounds, shillings, and pence as coinage alongside U.S. decimal coins.

In Canadian French, the penny is often known by the loanword cent ; in contrast with the heteronymous word meaning "hundred" (French: [sɑ̃] ⓘ ), this keeps the English pronunciation [sɛnt] ⓘ . Slang terms include cenne , cenne noire , or sou noir (black penny), although common Quebec French usage is sou .

History

Large cents (1858–1920)

The first pennies minted for what would later become the Canadian Confederation originated in legislation enacted in 1853. Per the Act 16 Vict. c. 158, the Province of Canada was to issue "dollars, cents, and mills" that would co-circulate with English shillings and pence. [1] After five years, an order to mint new coins came in 1858 as an effort to improve the Canadian monetary system. This was needed as by this time, the pounds, shillings, livres, and sous in circulation had become antiquated. [2] Pennies, or one-cent coins, were struck in bronze, had a diameter of 1 inch (25.4 mm) and weighed 1⁄100 pound (4.54 g) each. [1] Coinage for pennies was commenced so late in the year that the bulk of the large order for cents had to be completed in 1859. [2] The 10,000,000 coins ordered easily exceeded the demand and wants of the public that year as the population in the Province of Canada at the time was not even 2,000,000 people. [2]

This had a ripple effect, as the "ample supply" of newly issued coins were not withdrawn from circulation. The government of Canada had to intervene over the next 10 years by releasing them into circulation at a 20 percent discount. [2] Fresh production of new cents (with their weight increased to 1⁄5 ounce or 5.67 grams) was not required until 1876. [3] These pennies all have an "H" mintmark on them as they were made in Birmingham, England, by Ralph Heaton & Sons. [4] [5] Heaton continued to mint pennies for Canada in 1881 and 1882 while providing new coin presses and other machinery to the Royal Mint in London. [4] [5] From a business standpoint, this was a failure for Heaton as they "partly sabotaged" their own company by doing so. [5] Enlargements to the facilities at the Royal Mint were completed in 1883, which meant they could handle Canadian coin production. [2] The Royal Mint's deputy master made it "clearly known" to Canada's high commissioner in London that Canadian coinage would be handled by the Royal Mint. [5] Pennies dated 1884, and those dated 1886 to 1888, were all made in London for Canada. [4]

In 1890, the Royal Mint turned to Heaton again for coinage as there was possibly a "rush of business" that year. [2] [5] By this time, the mint was operating under a new name as Ralph Heaton III turned his father's mint into a limited liability company in 1889. The former Heaton Mint was now referred to as "The Mint, Birmingham, Limited" aka Birmingham Mint. [5] When mintage for pennies returned to London in 1891, it's noted by the Canadian Bankers Association that some of those made that year were re-coined. [4] Canadian pennies continued to be minted in England until 1907 with the opening of the Ottawa Mint. [4] [5] Concurrently, Queen Victoria died in 1901 and was succeeded by Edward VII which required a new obverse portrait for the penny. British medalist George William de Saulles was chosen for the job, and designed a right facing bust of the King with the words "Edwardus VII Dei gratia Rex Imperator" and "Canada". This portrait was used until Edward's death in 1910, and controversy arose the following year with a new design for George V.

King George V's portrait was designed by Australian sculptor and medalist Bertram Mackennal with the words "Georgius V Rex et Ind:Imp:"; however, this was criticized by the public as the decision to omit "Dei gratia" (by the grace of God) was called "godless" and "graceless". [6] [7] As a result the words Dei gra were added into the design the following year, and large cents continued to be produced until 1920. Pennies were reduced to their modern size that year which brought them closer in size to the American penny. [8]

Small cents (1920–1952)

On May 11, 1920 a proclamation was issued by the Parliament of Canada (effective May 15th) regarding a "New Bronze Cent" which was to be 19.1 mm (3⁄4 in) wide with a weight of 50 grains (3.24 g). [9] These smaller pennies feature an unchanged obverse design with the effigy of George V looking left surrounded by abbreviations. The reverse was given a new design with "the words ONE CENT supported by a maple leaf on either side, and bearing the word CANADA above and the date of issue below." [9] During this transition period the old large cents were not withdrawn, and were allowed to wear down through circulation until their redemption. [10] Starting in 1922, a "period of economic malaise" that lasted throughout the mid-1920's led to low mintage amounts for pennies. [11] Mintage figures "marked a hesitant return" in 1926 when over two million pieces were struck that year. [11] When King George V died in January 1936 his son Edward VIII was expected to assume the throne, but due to personal issues he abdicated in December 1936.

Although his brother George VI assumed the throne on December 11, 1936 this had an effect on Canadian pennies as a new effigy was needed for coinage. Given that it was late in the year, the Royal Mint was unable to immediately make coins with a die depicting the new king with a 1937 date. It was instead decided by the mint to continue minting 1936 dated pennies with a dot added below the reverse date which signified that they were made in 1937. [11] According to mint records 678,823 of these coins were minted, however only five are known to have presently survived. [11] The new effigy of George VI was ready for use later in the year and was designed by Humphrey Paget. The king is shown on the obverse side facing left with the words "Georgius VI D:G:Rex Et Ind:Imp:". [12] The reverse was designed by George Kruger Gray to depict a maple twig with two leaves, the word "1 CENT" appears above them and "CANADA" with the date is shown below. [13] While pennies with their new design continued to be minted unabated throughout World War II, there was a change in composition. Starting on April 1, 1942 Canadian pennies had their copper content increased from 95.5 percent to 98 percent and their tin content lowered from 3 percent to 0.5 percent. [14]

When India declared independence in 1947, this affected the penny as the words Ind:Imp: (Emperor of India) had to be removed from the obverse of the coin. This change was per article 7.2 of the Parliament of the United Kingdom's Indian Independence Act 1947. [15] As the dies omitting the title were not immediately ready for use, a small maple leaf was added next to the 1947 dated coins on the reverse for pennies minted into 1948. [16] This wasn't the first major alteration as from a collector's standpoint "the mid-20th century brought a series of varieties to Canadian coins". [11] King George VI died in 1952, and a new obverse effigy featuring Queen Elizabeth II appeared in the following year.

Small cents (1953–2009)

The first effigy of Queen Elizabeth II was designed by sculptor and medalist Mary Gillick, who chose to depict the queen at 27 years old facing right. As with the previous monarchs, her effigy is surrounded with Latin text which reads "Elizabeth II Dei Gratia Regina" (Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, the Queen). [17] For Canadian coinage, this marked the first time that master dies were made at the Royal Canadian Mint. [18] Canadian pennies dated 1953 to 1955 come in two major varieties "with and without a fold of fabric" (aka strap) on the new effigy. [19] The reason for this remains unclear as proposed theories include overly polished dies, to the relief of the effigy being too high to strike properly. In 1956, the "Master of the Royal Canadian Mint" noted that 898 pounds of worn bronze coins and 545 pounds of World War II era tombac nickels were converted for use in one-cent coinage. [20] High speed presses were installed at the mint in the early 1960s which meant that more Canadian pennies were being made at rates that exceeded 70% when compared to prior years. [21]

In 1964, Queen Elizabeth approved a second effigy of herself on Canadian coinage which was made by British artist and sculptor Arnold Machin. [22] This second bust features the Queen facing right while wearing a tiara surrounded by Latin text where "Dei Gratia" is abbreviated again to read "D.G.". [17] When these new pennies debuted in 1965, the denticles on both sides of the coin were replaced by beads which were affected by striking difficulties. [11] [23] Canada celebrated their centennial in 1967 by having a special design appear on the reverse side of each circulating denomination. For the penny, artist Alex Colville designed a depiction featuring a rock dove in flight with a dual date of "1867-1967". [8] [24] [25] The reverse design reverted back to George Kruger Gray's maple leaf in 1968, and in 1978 slight changes were made to the composition and thickness which gave the pennies a "thin planchet". [26] [27] [28] Further changes were made to the penny in 1980 which included a slight size reduction of .05 mm, and a weight change from 3.24 g to 2.8 g. [27] These specifications only lasted another year before the penny was changed again in both shape and weight. [29]

Canadian pennies minted from 1982 to 1996 have a twelve-sided edge to them which was put in place to help assist the visually impared. [29] [30] While their composition didn't change, these new pennies were also lighter as their weight was reduced from 2.8 to 2.5 g. [27] This did not help production costs as the Royal Canadian Mint noted in 1984 that a penny cost more than its face value to produce. [31] In 1990, a third effigy of the queen was used for Canadian pennies which was designed by Hungarian-Canadian sculptor Dora de Pedery-Hunt. This third design depicts Elizabeth II when she was 64 years old surrounded by the previously used Latin script. [17] Pennies minted in 1990s include a dual dated "1867-1992" coin which marked Canada's 125th anniversary. [17] [26] In 1997, the penny was changed from bronze to copper plated zinc which reduced the weight of the coin from 2.5 g to 2.25 g. [32] The twelve-sided shape was reverted to a round shape during this time as the copper-plated zinc proved difficult to plate. [33]

Elizabeth II was honored on the penny in 2002 as the coins carried a dual date of "1952-2002", for her Golden Jubilee. [34] Penny mintages for "2002" also include those marked with and without a "P" below Elizabeth II's bust. This letter identifies those made of copper plated steel versus those with copper plated zinc. [35] Two effigies of the Queen were used in the following year which include Hunt's "old effigy", and a fourth and final effigy made by portrait artist Susanna Blunt. This final depiction of the Queen shows a right facing uncrowned bust with the same previously used Latin script. [17] While the "P" mark below her bust was later dropped and replaced with the RCM logo in 2007, pennies continued to be minted using the two different compositions. [27] In order to identify the difference, those made of plated steel were dubbed "magnetic" as they stuck to a magnet, versus the "non-magnetic" copper plated zinc coins. [35]

Abolition (2010–2012)

The last Canadian penny on display at the Bank of Canada Museum. Canada's "Last Circulating Penny" on display at the Bank of Canada Museum.jpg
The last Canadian penny on display at the Bank of Canada Museum.

Canadian pennies had been a "money-losing coin" several times since at least 1984. [31] Although several attempts were made to abolish the penny, these were met with resistance as they were considered a necessity to pay provincial sales taxes. [31] Attitudes against the penny began to grow more in 2007 as the year marked the coin's centennial by the Ottawa Mint (now the RCM). During this time, a survey was conducted by the Desjardins Group which mentioned that the government produced about 825 million pennies per year from 2001 to 2005. Results from the survey indicated that as only 37 percent of Canadians used pennies, this amounted to 25 pennies per person. [36] While no immediate action was taken by the Canadian government, studies were eventually conduced by parliament three years later.

Sometime in mid-2010, the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance began a study on the future of the one-cent coin. [37] The committee's study concluded towards the end of the year, and on December 14, 2010 they recommended the penny be removed from circulation. [38] Their argument concluded that a century of inflation had eroded the value and usefulness of the one-cent piece. Rather than being spent, they estimated that the average Canadian had as many as 600 pennies hoarded away. [38] The Royal Canadian Mint was thus forced to produce large amounts of pennies as they disappeared from circulation due to hoarding or avoidance by the public. [39] On March 29, 2012, the federal government announced in its budget that it would withdraw the penny from circulation in the fourth quarter of 2012. [38] [40] In their reasoning the government cited the cost of producing a penny which was 1.6 cents per coin. [40] [41]

The final penny was minted at the Royal Canadian Mint's Winnipeg, Manitoba plant on the morning of May 4, 2012. [41] This widely publicized event included former Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, who ceremoniously "pushed a few buttons on the giant machine that pressed the final penny." [42] [43] It was then entrusted to the Bank of Canada Museum in Ottawa where it can now be seen on display. [44] On February 4, 2013, the mint began melting down the estimated 35 billion pennies that were in circulation. [45] On the same day, Google celebrated the beginning of the end for the Canadian penny with a Google Doodle. [46]

Aftermath

Cash transactions in Canada are now rounded to the nearest multiple of 5 cents. [47] The rounding is not done on individual items but on the total bill of sale, with totals being rounded to the nearest multiple of 5, i.e., totals ending in 1 or 2 round down to 0, totals ending in 3, 4, 6, or 7 round to 5, and totals ending in 8 or 9 round up to 10. [47] This is typical of cash rounding methods (not specific to Canada). While existing pennies will remain legal tender indefinitely, those in circulation were withdrawn on February 4, 2013. [48] [41] [49]

Based on technical specifications provided by the Mint Act, only pennies produced from 1982 to their discontinuation in 2013 are still legally "circulation coins". [50] The Currency Act says that "A payment in coins [...] is a legal tender for no more than [...] twenty-five cents if the denomination is one cent." [51] Nevertheless, once distribution of the coin ceased, vendors were no longer expected to return pennies as change for cash purchases and were encouraged to round purchases to the nearest five cents. [52] Goods can still be priced in one-cent increments, with non-cash transactions like credit cards being paid to the exact cent. [53]

Composition and size

YearsMassDiameter/shapeComposition
1858–18594.54 g (70 gr)25.4 mm (1 in), round95% copper, 4% tin, 1% zinc (bronze)
1876–1920 [27] 5.67 g (87+1⁄2 gr)25.4 mm (1 in), round95.5% copper, 3% tin, 1.5% zinc
1920–1941 [27] 3.24 g (50 gr)19.1 mm (3⁄4 in), round95.5% copper, 3% tin, 1.5% zinc
1942–1977 [27] 3.24 g (50 gr)19.1 mm (3⁄4 in), round98% copper, 0.5% tin, 1.5% zinc
1978–1979 [27] 3.24 g (50 gr)19.1 mm (3⁄4 in), round98% copper, 1.75% tin, 0.25% zinc
1980–1981 [27] 2.8 g19 mm (3⁄4 in), round98% copper, 1.75% tin, 0.25% zinc
1982–1996 [27] 2.5 g19.1 mm (3⁄4 in), 12-sided 98% copper, 1.75% tin, 0.25% zinc
1997–20122.25 g19.1 mm (3⁄4 in), round98.4% zinc, 1.6% copper plating
2002–20122.35 g19.1 mm (3⁄4 in), round94% steel, 1.5% nickel, 4.5% copper plating

Circulation figures

Victoria & Edward VII

CANADA, VICTORIA 1876 -ONE CENT b - Flickr - woody1778a.jpg
CANADA, VICTORIA 1876 -ONE CENT a - Flickr - woody1778a.jpg
An 1876 penny featuring Queen Victoria
CANADA, EDWARD VII, 1902 -ONE CENT b - Flickr - woody1778a.jpg
CANADA, EDWARD VII, 1902 -ONE CENT a - Flickr - woody1778a.jpg
A 1902 penny featuring King Edward VII
YearMintage [54]
1858421,000 [55]
18599,579,000 [55]
1876 H4,000,000 [56]
1881 H2,000,000 [56]
1882 H4,000,000 [56]
18842,500,000 [56]
18861,500,000 [56]
18871,500,000 [56]
18884,000,000 [56]
1890 H1,000,000 [56]
18911,452,000 [56]
18921,200,000 [56]
18932,000,000 [56]
18941,000,000 [56]
18951,200,000 [56]
18962,000,000 [56]
18971,500,000 [56]
1898 H1,000,000 [56]
18992,400,000 [56]
19001,000,000 [56]
1900 H2,600,000 [56]
1901 Victoria4,100,000 [56]
1902 Edward VII3,000,000 [57]
19034,000,000 [57]
19042,500,000 [57]
19052,000,000 [57]
19064,100,000 [57]
19072,400,000 [57]
1907 H800,000 [57]
19082,401,506 [57]
19093,973,339 [57]
19105,146,487 [57]

George V and George VI

CANADA, GEORGE V 1911 -ONE CENT b - Flickr - woody1778a.jpg
CANADA, GEORGE V 1911 -ONE CENT a - Flickr - woody1778a.jpg
A 1911 penny featuring King George V (No "Dei gratia" on obverse).
CANADA, GEORGE V 1912 -ONE CENT b - Flickr - woody1778a.jpg
CANADA, GEORGE V 1912 -ONE CENT a - Flickr - woody1778a.jpg
A 1912 penny with "Dei gra" on obverse.
CANADA, GEORGE V 1920 -FIRST ISSUE, SMALL ONE CENT b - Flickr - woody1778a.jpg
CANADA, GEORGE V 1920 -FIRST ISSUE, SMALL ONE CENT a - Flickr - woody1778a.jpg
A 1920 penny featuring King George V, the first year of the small penny
CANADA, GEORGE VI 1937 -ONE CENT b - Flickr - woody1778a.jpg
CANADA, GEORGE VI 1937 -ONE CENT a - Flickr - woody1778a.jpg
A 1937 penny featuring King George VI
YearMintage [58] [59] [60]
1911 No " Dei gratia " [lower-alpha 1] 4,663,486 [61]
1912 With "Dei gra"5,107,642 [62]
19135,735,405 [62]
19143,405,958 [62]
19154,932,134 [62]
191611,022,367 [62]
191711,899,254 [62]
191812,970,798 [62]
191911,279,634 [62]
1920 Large6,762,247 [62]
1920 Small15,483,923
19217,601,627
19221,243,635
19231,019,002
19241,593,195
19251,000,622
19262,143,372
19273,553,928
19289,144,860
192912,159,840
19302,538,613
19313,842,776
193221,316,190
193312,079,310
19347,042,358
19357,526,400
1936 George V [lower-alpha 2] 8,768,769
1937 George VI10,040,231
193818,365,608
193921,600,319
194085,740,532
194156,336,011
194276,113,708
194389,111,969
194444,131,216
194577,268,591
194656,662,071
194731,093,901
1947 Maple Leaf47,855,448
194825,767,779
194933,128,933
195060,444,992
195180,430,379
195267,631,736

Elizabeth II

Canadian Centennial (1967) 1967 Canada Centennial Penny.jpg
Canadian Centennial (1967)
Canadian Penny 1997 Obverse.png
Canadian Penny 1997 Reverse.png
A 1997 penny featuring Queen Elizabeth II
YearMintage
1953 No strap67,806,016 [63]
1953 Strap
1954 [lower-alpha 3] 22,181,760 [63]
1955 Strap56,403,193 [63]
1955 No strap
195678,685,535 [63]
1957100,601,792 [63]
195859,385,679 [63]
195983,615,343 [63]
196075,772,775 [63]
1961139,598,404 [63]
1962227,244,069 [63]
1963279,076,334 [63]
1964484,655,322 [63]
1965 Large beads304,441,082 [64]
1965 Small beads
1966184,151,087 [64]
1967 Centennial 345,140,645 [65]
1968329,695,772 [64]
1969335,240,929 [64]
1970311,145,010 [64]
1971298,228,936 [64]
1972451,304,591 [64]
1973457,059,852 [64]
1974692,058,489 [64]
1975642,318,000 [64]
1976701,122,890 [64]
1977453,762,670 [64]
1978911,170,647 [28]
1979754,394,064 [28]
1980912,052,318 [66]
1981 Round1,209,468,500 [66]
1982 12 sided911,001,000 [67]
1983975,510,000 [67]
1984838,225,000 [67]
1985771,772,500 [67]
1986740,335,000 [67]
1987774,549,000 [67]
1988482,676,752 [67]
19891,077,347,200 [67]
1990218,035,000 [68]
1991831,001,000 [68]
1992673,512,000 [69]
1993752,034,000 [68]
1994639,516,000 [68]
1995624,983,000 [68]
1996 12 sided445,746,000 [68]
1997 Round549,868,000 [70]
1998999,578,000 [70]
19991,089,625,000 [70]
2000771,908,206 [70]
2001919,358,000 [70]
2002716,366,000 [71]
2002 P114,212,000 [71]
200392,219,775 [70]
2003 P235,936,799 [70]
2003 Uncrowned [lower-alpha 4] 56,887,144 [72]
2003 P Uncrowned591,257,000 [73]
2004653,317,000 [72]
2004 P134,906,000 [73]
2005759,658,000 [72]
2005 P30,525,000 [73]
2006 Plain [lower-alpha 5] 886,275,000 [72]
2006 RCM [lower-alpha 5]
2006 P [lower-alpha 5] 137,733,000 [73]
2007 M [lower-alpha 6] 938,270,000 [73]
2007 NM [lower-alpha 6] 9,625,000 [75]
2008 [lower-alpha 7] 787,625,000 [73]
2009 M [lower-alpha 6] 419,105,000 [77]
2009 NM [lower-alpha 6] 36,575,000 [77]
2010 [lower-alpha 8] 486,200,000 [79]
2011 M [lower-alpha 6] 361,350,000 [80]
2011 NM [lower-alpha 6] 301,400,000 [80]
2012 M [lower-alpha 6] 111,375,000 [81]
2012 NM [lower-alpha 6] 87,972,000 [81]

Commemoratives

DateMintageReason
1998
25,000
90th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Mint
2003
21,357
Elizabeth II (Golden Jubilee)
2010
4,996
75th Anniversary of Canada's Voyageur Silver Dollar
2011
6,000
100th anniversary of George V on Canadian coins
2017
5,500
150th anniversary of the Confederation of Canada (the forgotten 1927 designs)
2017
8,017
150th anniversary of the Confederation of Canada (Centennial Rock Dove; 2017 version)

Collecting

The value of any given coin is determined by survivability rate and condition as collectors in general prefer uncleaned appealing coins. According to the Canadian Coin Digest, mintages for Canadian coinage in general "aren't" always reliable in determining rarity. [5] One outlier is the rare 1936 dot cent of which only four minted specimens of this coin are known. These coins were produced with the dot to show they were made in 1937 while the mint was waiting for new dies due to a delay caused by the abdication of King Edward VIII and the need to create new dies for his successor, George VI. The last one sold at Heritage Auctions in January 2010 for over US$400,000 before taxes. [25]

To honour the penny, the Royal Canadian Mint released several silver and gold coins and collectibles on their website, [41] including a miniature gold coin, [82] a gold-plated silver coin, [83] a five-ounce silver coin, [84] and a five-coin set of silver coins.[ citation needed ]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The words "Dei gratia" were removed from the obverse of the coin to make room for "Ind:Imp:" (Emperor of India). It was restored in 1912 after public backlash.
  2. ↑ The dot below date variety is extremely rare with just 1 possible business strike and 3 specimens in existence.
  3. ↑ Only "prooflike" 1954 pennies have no strap. [63]
  4. ↑ Two effigies of Elizabeth II were made in 2003. One of them is the older bust which has her crowned (design dates to 1990), while the newer one features an uncrowned design.
  5. 1 2 3 Pennies dated 2006 come in 6 different varieties: a "P" below Queen Elizabeth's bust, the "RCM" logo below the best, and nothing under the bust. These are then separated by magnetic/non magnetic coins for each type. [74] Starting in 2007 until the end of the series in 2012, the "P" was abandoned and the RCM logo appears below the bust.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 These pennies are either magnetic (M) or non-magnetic (NM)
  7. ↑ 2008 non-magnetic Canadian pennies were sold in proof sets. [76]
  8. ↑ 2010 magnetic Canadian pennies were sold as "prooflike" specimens in "Oh Canada" Uncirculated sets. [78]

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The British farthing was a British coin worth a quarter of an old penny. It ceased to be struck after 1956 and was demonetised from 1 January 1961.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Large cent</span> One-cent coin in the United States from 1793 to 1857

The United States large cent was a coin with a face value of 1/100 of a United States dollar. Its nominal diameter was 11⁄8 inch (28.57 mm). The first official mintage of the large cent was in 1793, and its production continued until 1857, when it was officially replaced by the modern-size one-cent coin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian ten-cent coin</span> Current denomination of Australian currency

The Australian ten-cent coin is a coin of the decimal Australian dollar. When the dollar was introduced as half of an Australian pound on 14 February 1966, the coin inherited the specifications of the pre-decimal shilling; both coins were worth one twentieth of a pound and were called "bob". On introduction it was the fourth-lowest denomination coin. Since the withdrawal from circulation of the one and two cent coins in 1992, it has been the second-lowest denomination coin in circulation.

The coins of Canada are produced by the Royal Canadian Mint and denominated in Canadian dollars ($) and the subunit of dollars, cents (¢). An effigy of the reigning monarch always appears on the obverse of all coins. There are standard images which appear on the reverse, but there are also commemorative and numismatic issues with different images on the reverse.

One of the most profitable aspects of the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) is its numismatic product line. The first numismatic coin from the RCM was arguably the 1935 dollar commemorating the Silver Jubilee of King George V. Though intended for circulation, it was the first Canadian coin commemorating an event. The decision to issue this coin was made in October 1934 by Prime Minister R. B. Bennett. There were economic and patriotic motivations for the release of a silver dollar, including a hope to boost the silver mining industry. In future years, the silver dollar would have a more emotional meaning for many Canadians because it was also the first coin to have the Voyageur motif on its reverse.

The coins of the Australian dollar were introduced on 14 February 1966, although they did not at that time include the one-dollar or two-dollar coins. The dollar was equivalent in value to 10 shillings in the former currency.

The Canadian silver dollar was first issued by the Royal Canadian Mint in 1935 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V. The coin's reverse design was sculpted by Emanuel Hahn and portrays a voyageur and a person of Indigenous descent paddling a birch-bark canoe. The faint lines in the background represent the Northern Lights. The voyageur design was used on the dollar until 1986. It was then replaced with the 1987 Canadian 1-dollar coin. 1967 marked the end of the silver dollar as a business strike, or a coin issued for circulation. After 1967, the dollar coin was made of nickel, except for non-circulating commemorative issues for the collector market, which continue to contain silver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halfpenny (Australian)</span>

The Australian pre-decimal halfpenny coin, commonly known as a ha’penny, was the smallest denomination of the Australian Pound in circulation. It was a unit of currency that equalled half of a penny, ⁠1/24⁠ of a shilling, or ⁠1/480⁠ of a pound. The coin was made to be equivalent to the British halfpenny; its dimensions, composition and values were equivalent, and additionally, the two currencies were fixed at par.

One of the most highly profitable aspects of the Royal Canadian Mint's enterprise is in its Numismatic product line. The euphoria surrounding the year 2000 led to the birth of the Millennium 25-cent coin program. The numismatic line included proof quality coins sold individually or as a complete set. This level of excess would come to signify the coming decade. The number of numismatic releases would increase on an annual basis starting in 2003. Numismatic three cents, five cents, and ten cents would be introduced, along with numismatic three dollars and eight dollars. Luxury coins would not be immune to the dramatic increases that ensued. Coins with face values of 250, 300 and 350 dollars would be introduced by 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penny (British pre-decimal coin)</span> Former denomination of sterling coinage

The British pre-decimal penny was a denomination of sterling coinage worth 1⁄240 of one pound or 1⁄12 of one shilling. Its symbol was d, from the Roman denarius. It was a continuation of the earlier English penny, and in Scotland it had the same monetary value as one pre-1707 Scottish shilling. The penny was originally minted in silver, but from the late 18th century it was minted in copper, and then after 1860 in bronze.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">100 yen coin</span> Denomination of Japanese yen

The 100 yen coin is a denomination of Japanese yen. These coins were first minted in 1957 using a silver alloy, before the current design was adopted with an alloy change in 1967. It is the second-highest denomination coin in Japan, after the 500 yen coin. The current 100 yen coin is one of two denominations that depict the emperor's rule date in Arabic numerals rather than kanji.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Double sovereign</span> British gold coin

The double sovereign is a gold coin of the United Kingdom with a face value of two pounds sterling (£2). Rarely issued in the first 150 years after its debut in 1820, it never had a significant presence in circulation. It became a collector and bullion coin, and has been struck most years since 1980. It features the reigning monarch on its obverse and, most often, Benedetto Pistrucci's depiction of Saint George and the Dragon on the reverse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent</span> Popular and valuable U.S. one-cent coin

The 1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent is a low-mintage coin of the United States dollar. It is a key date variety of the one-cent coin produced by the United States Mint in San Francisco in 1909. The Lincoln penny replaced the Indian Head penny and was the first everyday U.S. coin to feature an actual person, but it was immediately met with controversy over the inclusion of the initials of the sculptor who designed the coin, Victor David Brenner, on the reverse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jubilee coinage</span> British coins depicting Queen Victoria

The Jubilee coinage or Jubilee head coinage are British coins with an obverse featuring a depiction of Queen Victoria by Joseph Edgar Boehm. The design was placed on the silver and gold circulating coinage beginning in 1887, and on the Maundy coinage beginning in 1888. The depiction of Victoria wearing a crown that was seen as too small was widely mocked, and was replaced in 1893. The series saw the entire issuance of the double florin (1887–1890) and, in 1888, the last issue for circulation of the groat, or fourpence piece, although it was intended for use in British Guiana. No bronze coins were struck with the Jubilee design.

References

  1. 1 2 Hocking, William John (1906). Catalogue of the Coins, Tokens, Medals, Dies, and Seals in the Museum of the Royal Mint. H.M. Stationery Office. p. 305.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mott, H.; McLachlan, R. W.; de Lery MacDonald, A. C. (1889). The Canadian Antiquarian and Numismatic Journal. Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Montreal. pp. 146–151.
  3. ↑ Cross, W. K. The Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian Coins. The Charlton Press. p. 57. ISBN   0-88968-297-6.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Journal of the Canadian Bankers' Association. Vol. 25. Canadian Bankers Association. 1918. p. 112-113.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Cuhaj, George S.; Michael, Thomas (2012). Canadian Coin Digest. Penguin. ISBN   978-1-4402-2987-9.
  6. ↑ Theodore V. Buttrey (1973). Coinage of the Americas. American Numismatic Society. p. 99. ISBN   978-0-7837-6999-8. A public outcry against these "Godless" coins resulted and from 1912 coins bear a legend containing an abbreviated form of the phrase
  7. ↑ American Numismatic Association (1911). The Numismatist. Vol. 24. Hurley Prontery. p. 200.
  8. 1 2 "Royal Canadian Mint History Timeline". Royal Canadian Mint. Archived from the original on September 6, 2013. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  9. 1 2 Brown Chamberlin (1919). Acts of the Parliament of the Dominion of Canada. Law Printer to the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty. p. 9.
  10. ↑ Annual Report of the Director of the Mint. United States Department of the Treasury. 1919. p. 160.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez (April 19, 2023). "11 Most Valuable Canadian Pennies". Gainesville Coins. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  12. ↑ The Numismatist. Vol. 106. American Numismatic Association. 1993. ...dating from 1937 to 1952. Designer T. Humphrey Paget's initials, H.P., are...
  13. ↑ Harper, David C.; Michael, Thomas; Giedroyc, Richard (October 2, 2018). 019 North American Coins & Prices: A Guide to U.S., Canadian and Mexican Coins. Krause Publications. p. 268. ISBN   978-1-4402-4874-0.
  14. ↑ Annual Report of the Director of the Mint. United States Department of the Treasury. 1967.
  15. ↑ "Indian Independence Act, 1947" (PDF). Parliament of the United Kingdom. The assent of the Parliament of the United Kingdom is hereby given to the omission from the Royal Style and Titles of the words " Indiae Imperator " and the words " Emperor of India " and to the issue by His Majesty for that purpose of His Royal Proclamation under the Great Seal of the Realm.
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  19. ↑ The Numismatist. Vol. 106. American Numismatic Association. 1993. p. 1132. With the coins of 1953–55 came two new varieties: with and without a fold of fabric (mistakenly called a strap) on Queen Elizabeth's right shoulder.
  20. ↑ Report of the Master of the Royal Canadian Mint. Department of Finance Canada. 1956. p. 5.
  21. ↑ Report of the Master of the Royal Canadian Mint. Department of Finance Canada. 1963.
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  34. ↑ Numismatist and Year Book. Vol. 117. American Numismatic Association. 2004. p. 108.
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  37. ↑ "Parliament of Canada – Parlement du Canada". Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
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  56. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 "Canada Cent KM# 7 1876". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  57. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Canada Cent KM# 8 1902(no mint mark)". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  58. ↑ "Canada Cent KM# 28 1920(no mint mark) (1920 to 1936)". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  59. ↑ "Canada Cent KM# 32 1937(no mint mark) (1937 to 1947)". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  60. ↑ "Canada Cent KM# 41 1948(no mint mark) (1948 to 1952)". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  61. ↑ "Canada Cent KM# 15 1911(no mint mark)". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  62. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Canada Cent KM# 21 1912(no mint mark)". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  63. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Canada Cent KM# 49 1953(no mint mark) With strap (1953 to 1964)". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  64. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Canada Cent KM# 59.1 1965(no mint mark) Large beads, blunt 5 (1965 to 1977)". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  65. ↑ "Canada Cent KM# 65 1967(no mint mark)". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  66. 1 2 "Canada Cent KM# 127 1981(no mint mark) Proof". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  67. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Canada Cent KM# 132 1982(no mint mark)". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  68. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Canada Cent KM# 181 1990(no mint mark)". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
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  70. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Canada Cent KM# 289 1997(no mint mark)". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  71. 1 2 "Canada Cent KM# 445 1952-2002". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  72. 1 2 3 4 "Canada Cent KM# 490 2003". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  73. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Canada Cent KM# 490a 2004P". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
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  75. ↑ "1 cent 2007". Coins and Canada. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  76. ↑ "Proof Set (2008)". Royal Canadian Mint. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  77. 1 2 "1 cent 2009". Coins and Canada. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  78. ↑ "Oh! Canada! Gift Set (2010)". Royal Canadian Mint. Retrieved July 27, 2024. 1 cent: Composition: copper plated steel
  79. ↑ "1 cent 2010". Coins and Canada. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  80. 1 2 "1 cent 2011". Coins and Canada. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  81. 1 2 "1 cent 2012". Coins and Canada. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  82. ↑ "1/25 oz Fine Gold Coin – Farewell to the Penny (2012)". Royal Canadian Mint. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  83. ↑ "1/2 oz Fine Silver – Farewell to the Penny (2012)". Royal Canadian Mint. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  84. ↑ "5 oz Fine Silver Coin – Farewell to the Penny – Mintage: 1500 (2012)". Royal Canadian Mint. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
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