Canadian 1-cent coin · George VI
1951 Canadian 1 cent (penny)
A 1951 Canadian 1-cent coin contains no silver.
Reported mintage, 1951
80,430,379The Mint records this coin as 98% copper, 0.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 - 1977 | 98% copper, 0.5% tin, 1.5% zinc | 3.24 g | none | 19.05 mm | not attracted |
How many were struck
Reported mintage, 1951
That is the 49th 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 VI
His Majesty King Charles III’s grandfather appeared in effigy on Canadian coins until his daughter’s Coronation in 1952. Until 1947, the inscription accompanying his image read GEORGIVS VI D:G:REX ET IND:IMP or GEORGIVS VI DEI GRA REX ET IND:IMP (depending on the denomination). After India became independent in 1947, the ET IND:IMP, which meant “George VI, Emperor of India,” was discontinued.
The design on the reverse
1937 - 1966, 1968 - 1981, 1997 - present
The maple leaf twig (round coin)
In 1937, as part of an effort to modernize Canada's coins, G.E. Kruger-Gray created the maple leaf twig design. His initials appear on the right.
The rest of your 1951 change
Nobody inherits one denomination. If there is a 1951 1-cent coin in the tin, these are the other coins carrying that date and whether they hold any silver.
| Denomination | Composition in 1951 | Silver | Mintage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 cents nickel | 99.9% nickel; or chrome plated steel | none | 12,642,641 |
| 10 cents dime | 80% silver, 20% copper | 0.0599 ozt | 15,079,265 |
| 25 cents quarter | 80% silver, 20% copper | 0.1500 ozt | 8,290,719 |
| 50 cents half dollar | 80% silver, 20% copper | 0.2999 ozt | 2,421,730 |
| 1 dollar | 80% silver, 20% copper | 0.5993 ozt | 416,395 |