7 denominations on record · Elizabeth II on the obverse
Canadian coins dated 2008
Nothing struck for circulation in 2008 contains any silver. Whatever a 2008 coin is worth, it is not worth it as metal.
Coins struck in 2008, all denominations
1,969,044,000Across 7 of the 7 denominations on record for 2008. Nothing dated 2008 was struck in a silver-bearing alloy, so there is no melt figure for this year. Value here is a question about condition and scarcity, not about metal.
Every denomination dated 2008
| Coin | Composition in 2008 | Weight | Silver | Mintage | Magnet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cent penny | 94% steel, 1.5% nickel, 4.5% copper plating | 2.35 g | none | 787,625,000 | attracted |
| 5 cents nickel | 94.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel plating | 3.95 g | none | 278,530,000 | attracted |
| 10 cents dime | 92% steel, 5.5% copper, 2.5% nickel | 1.75 g | none | 467,495,000 | attracted |
| 25 cents quarter | 94% steel, 3.8% copper, 2.2% nickel plating | 4.4 g | none | 387,222,000 | attracted |
| 50 cents half dollar | 93.15% steel, 4.75% copper, 2.1% nickel plating | 6.9 g | none | 211,000 | attracted |
| 1 dollar | 91.5% nickel, 8.5% bronze plating | 7 g | none | 29,561,000 | attracted |
| 2 dollars toonie | outer ring 99% nickel, inner core 92% copper, 6% aluminum, 2% nickel | 7.3 g | none | 18,400,000 | not stated |
What was on the coins
1 cent
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.
5 cents
The beaver design was created in 1937 by G.E. Kruger-Gray as part of a coin modernization effort.
25 cents
Emanuel Hahn's caribou design was adopted in 1937 in an effort to modernize Canada's circulation coins.
50 cents
The Canadian Government approved a new Coat of Arms in 1957. In 1959 it appeared on the 50-cent coin, where it remains to this day.
50 cents
In 1994, the motto of the Order of Canada was added to the Coat of Arms, which is the version of the coin produced today.
1 dollar
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.
1 dollar
The 2008 Lucky Loonie features a common Loon getting ready to take flight with the Canadian Olympic Team's logo at its side. The Mint provided each member of the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Teams competing in Beijing with a Lucky Loonie as their own personal good luck charm.
2 dollars
400th Anniversary of the founding of Quebec City
Quebec artist Geneviève Bertrand won a design competition to create a new reverse of the 2-dollar circulation coin commemorating the 400th anniversary of Quebec City. The date 1608 appeared on the left side of the outer ring, while 2008 appeared on the right of the ring on this commemorative coin's reverse side. Only six million of these special coins circulated, in addition to more than 17 million 2008 Toonies produced with the traditional Polar Bear design. As the date was moved to the reverse side of this commemorative coin, the Mint Mark was moved to the core of the coin on the obverse, to the immediate left of Her Majesty's effigy.
Whose portrait is on it
A Canadian coin dated 2008 carries the effigy of Elizabeth II, used from 2003 to 2023.
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.
What 2008 coins sell for
Completed sales rather than a catalogue value, because we do not publish catalogue values.
Completed sales, newest first, so you are looking at what buyers paid rather than what sellers are asking. Affiliate link: we may earn a commission if you buy, at no cost to you, and it changes nothing on this page.