Canadian 1-cent coin · Elizabeth II
2012 Canadian 1 cent (penny)
A 2012 Canadian 1-cent coin contains no silver.
Reported mintage, 2012
199,347,000The Mint records this coin as 94% steel, 1.5% nickel, 4.5% copper plating. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 - present | 94% steel, 1.5% nickel, 4.5% copper plating | 2.35 g | none | 19.05 mm | attracted |
Since 2000, the 1-cent coin can be produced using either the copper-plated steel or copper-plated zinc compositions.
How many were struck
Reported mintage, 2012
That is the 56th 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
Canadian artist, Susanna Blunt, designed the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, again accompanied by the words ELIZABETH II D G REGINA. Blunt's version recalls the effigy of George VI, who also chose to be portrayed without a crown.
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 2012 change
Nobody inherits one denomination. If there is a 2012 1-cent coin in the tin, these are the other coins carrying that date and whether they hold any silver.
| Denomination | Composition in 2012 | Silver | Mintage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 cents nickel | 94.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel plating | none | 202,944,000 |
| 10 cents dime | 92% steel, 5.5% copper, 2.5% nickel | none | 334,675,000 |
| 25 cents quarter | 94% steel, 3.8% copper, 2.2% nickel plating | none | 178,450,000 |
| 50 cents half dollar | 93.15% steel, 4.75% copper, 2.1% nickel plating | none | 250,000 |
| 1 dollar | 91.5% nickel, 8.5% bronze plating; or multi-ply brass plated steel | none | 119,519,000 |
| 2 dollars toonie | outer ring 99% nickel, inner core 92% copper, 6% aluminum, 2% nickel; or outer ring - multi-ply nickel plated steel, insert - multi-ply brass plated aluminum bronze | none | 89,185,000 |