Canadian 1-dollar coin · Elizabeth II
2012 Canadian 1 dollar
A 2012 Canadian 1-dollar coin contains no silver.
Reported mintage, 2012
119,519,000The Mint records this coin as 91.5% nickel, 8.5% bronze 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 - 2012 | 91.5% nickel, 8.5% bronze plating | 7 g | none | 26.5 mm | attracted |
| 2012 - present | multi-ply brass plated steel | 6.27 g | none | 26.5 mm | attracted |
Two entries here is not a mistake in the table. The Mint’s own specification for the 1-dollar coin covers 2012 twice, because the metal changed during that year or at its boundary. Coins struck to each standard carry the same date. They differ by weight, so a scale reading to a hundredth of a gram separates them.
How many were struck
Reported mintage, 2012
That is the 76th lowest of the 80 years in which the Mint reports striking a 1-dollar coin, in a range running from 18,780 to 205,405,000. 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
1987 - 1991, 1993 - present
The 1-dollar bill was replaced in 1987 by a new eleven-sided circulation coin nicknamed the 'Loonie'. Robert-Ralph Carmichael's popular design features a Canadian loon, and is made of aureate bronze.
The rest of your 2012 change
Nobody inherits one denomination. If there is a 2012 1-dollar coin in the tin, these are the other coins carrying that date and whether they hold any silver.
| Denomination | Composition in 2012 | Silver | Mintage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cent penny | 94% steel, 1.5% nickel, 4.5% copper plating | none | 199,347,000 |
| 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 |
| 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 |