Canadian 1-cent coin · Elizabeth II
1954 Canadian 1 cent (penny)
A 1954 Canadian 1-cent coin contains no silver.
Reported mintage, 1954
22,181,760The 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, 1954
That is the 32nd 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
Elizabeth II
The effigy of Queen Elizabeth II first appeared on Canadian coins in 1953 when she was 27 years old. The effigy pictured here was used until 1964, with the inscription ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA, meaning “Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, the Queen. ”
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 1954 change
Nobody inherits one denomination. If there is a 1954 1-cent coin in the tin, these are the other coins carrying that date and whether they hold any silver.
| Denomination | Composition in 1954 | Silver | Mintage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 cents nickel | chrome plated steel | none | 6,998,662 |
| 10 cents dime | 80% silver, 20% copper | 0.0599 ozt | 4,493,150 |
| 25 cents quarter | 80% silver, 20% copper | 0.1500 ozt | 2,318,891 |
| 50 cents half dollar | 80% silver, 20% copper | 0.2999 ozt | 506,305 |
| 1 dollar | 80% silver, 20% copper | 0.5993 ozt | 246,606 |