Canadian 1-cent coin · George V
1923 Canadian 1 cent (penny)
A 1923 Canadian 1-cent coin contains no silver.
Reported mintage, 1923
1,019,022The Mint records this coin as 95.5% copper, 3% tin, 1.5% zinc. There is no melt trade in it and no dealer prices it by weight.
What the Mint says it is made of
| Period | Composition | Weight | Silver | Diameter | Magnet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 - 1941 | 95.5% copper, 3% tin, 1.5% zinc | 3.24 g | none | 19.05 mm | not attracted |
How many were struck
Reported mintage, 1923
That is the 2nd lowest of the 105 years in which the Mint reports striking a 1-cent coin, in a range running from 1,000,622 to 1,261,883,000. Mintage is a count of coins made, not of coins that survive: the Mint has no way of knowing how many of these were later returned and melted, and for a silver denomination in the 1960s that number is large.
Portrait on the obverse
George V
George V was the great-grandfather of His Majesty King Charles III and appeared with the Latin inscription GEORGIVS V DEI GRA:REX ET IND:IMP, which means “George V, by the grace of God, the King and Emperor of India.” For part of 1911, coins did not include the DEI GRA part of the inscription and became known as the “Godless” coins.
The design on the reverse
1920 - 1936
This design, created by Fred Lewis, coincided with a reduction in the 1-cent coin's diameter.
The rest of your 1923 change
Nobody inherits one denomination. If there is a 1923 1-cent coin in the tin, these are the other coins carrying that date and whether they hold any silver.