Coins of the Canadian dollar facts for kids
The coins of Canada are made by the Royal Canadian Mint. They are worth Canadian dollars ($) and cents (¢). Every Canadian coin has a picture of the reigning monarch (like the King or Queen) on the front. This side is called the "obverse." The back of the coin, called the "reverse," usually has standard pictures. But sometimes, special coins are made with different pictures to celebrate events or for collectors.
There are six types of Canadian coins used today: 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, and $2. People often use nicknames for them. The 5¢ coin is called a "nickel." The 10¢ coin is a "dime." The 25¢ coin is a "quarter." The $1 coin is known as the "loonie" because it has a picture of a common loon bird on it. The $2 coin is called a "toonie," which is a fun mix of "two" and "loonie."
The 1¢ coin, called a "penny," stopped being made in 2012. It cost more to make than it was worth!
Canadian coins are designed so that when you flip them over top-to-bottom, the picture on the back is also right-side up. This is like British or Euro coins.
| Value | Image | Technical details | What's on it | English name | French name | First made | Stopped making | Still used? | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front (Obverse) | Back (Reverse) | Size (Diameter) | Thickness | Weight | What it's made of | Edge | Front picture | Back picture | ||||||
| 1¢ |  |
 |
19.05 mm | 1.45 mm | 2.35 g |
|
Queen Elizabeth II | Maple leaf | Penny |
|
1858 | May 2012 |
|
|
| 5¢ |  |
 |
21.2 mm | 1.76 mm | 3.95 g |
|
|
Queen Elizabeth II | Beaver | Nickel |
|
1858 | Still made | Still in use |
| 10¢ |  |
 |
18.03 mm | 1.22 mm | 1.75 g |
|
Ridged | The Bluenose ship | Dime |
|
1858 | |||
| 25¢ |  |
 |
23.88 mm | 1.58 mm | 4.4 g |
|
Caribou | Quarter |
|
1870 | ||||
| 50¢ |  |
 |
27.13 mm | 1.95 mm | 6.9 g |
|
Canadian coat of arms | 50¢ piece, half-dollar |
|
1870 | Made, but rarely used since 2004. | |||
| $1 | 32.15 mm | 2.88 mm | 15.62 g | 99.9% nickel | Voyageurs in a canoe |
|
1935 | 1987 | Replaced by loonie in 1987. Still legal. | |||||
| $1 |  |
26.5 mm | 1.95 mm | 7 g | Smooth, 11-sided | Queen Elizabeth II | Common loon | Loonie |
|
1987 | 2011 | Still in use | ||
 |
6.27 g | Brass-plated steel | Common loon with security feature | 2012 | Still made | |||||||||
| $2 |  |
 |
28 mm | 1.8 mm | 7.3 g |
|
Ridged / smooth | Queen Elizabeth II | Polar bear | Toonie |
|
1996 | 2011 | Still in use |
 |
6.92 g |
|
Ridged / smooth / edge-lettered | Polar bear with 2 security features | 2012 | Still made | ||||||||
| These images are to scale at 2.5 pixels per millimetre. For table standards, see the coin specification table. | ||||||||||||||
The 50¢ coin is very rare to see in everyday use. The Royal Canadian Mint makes far fewer of them compared to quarters. People sometimes call it a "half-dollar."
Canadian coins are similar in value to U.S. coins, except for the $2 coin. Their sizes are also similar, but Canadian coins are usually thinner and weigh a bit less. Sometimes, U.S. and Canadian 5¢, 10¢, and 25¢ coins get mixed up and used in the other country.
Contents
Newer Coins: Loonie and Toonie
A big change for Canadian coins was the introduction of the $1 and $2 coins, and the penny being taken out of use.
The $1 coin, the "loonie," came out in 1987. Before this, Canada used $1 paper bills. The government decided to stop making the $1 bills in 1989, which helped people start using the new coin. The loonie has a picture of a common loon on its back. It's made of nickel with a bronze plating.
The $2 coin, the "toonie," was introduced in 1996. It has a polar bear on it and is made of two different metals, making it bimetallic. The $2 paper bill was also removed from circulation when the toonie came out. Canadians quickly accepted these new coins because the paper bills were removed, making the coins necessary for everyday use.
On March 29, 2012, the Canadian government announced that the 1¢ coin would be retired. The Royal Canadian Mint stopped making pennies in May 2012. In February 2013, banks stopped giving them out, but pennies are still legal to use. When you pay with cash, the total is now rounded to the nearest 5¢. If you pay with a card, it's still rounded to the nearest 1¢.
How Coins Are Made
Canadian coins are made by the Royal Canadian Mint at its factory in Winnipeg. On special commemorative coins, all the words are in both of Canada's official languages, English and French. For regular coins, the words on the back are the same in both languages. On the front, the name of the Canadian Monarch (like the Queen or King) is written in a short Latin phrase. For example, it says "ELIZABETH II D. G. REGINA," which means "Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, Queen."
History of Canadian Coins
Coins of the Colonies
Before Canada became a country, different British colonies in North America started making their own coins in 1858. These coins were in cents and had a picture of Queen Victoria on them. They replaced the older British money. The Province of Canada was the first to make these new coins. They were based on the value of the American dollar. The first coins were 1¢, 5¢, 10¢, and 20¢. Other colonies like New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Prince Edward Island also started making their own coins later.
Queen Victoria Coins
In 1867, the British Parliament passed a law that united the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick into one country. This was the start of Canada! The coins from the old colonies were still used until 1870. As other colonies joined Canada, they started using the new national Canadian money.
In 1870, Canada made its first national coins: 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, and 50¢. A 1¢ coin was added in 1876. These coins all had Queen Victoria's head on the front. The back showed the coin's value and date with a wreath of maple leaves, except for the 1¢ coin, which had a maple vine.
King Edward VII Coins
In 1902, new coins were made with the picture of King Edward VII. An interesting fact for collectors is that the 1902 5¢ coin had an older style crown. People thought it was a mistake, so they collected these coins. In 1903, the design was changed to the correct crown.
In 1908, the Royal Canadian Mint opened in Ottawa. This meant Canada could make its own coins instead of having them made in Britain.
King George V Coins
When King Edward VII passed away in 1910, his son, King George V, became the new monarch. His picture then appeared on all Canadian coins.
Some of the first coins with King George V are called "Godless" coins. This is because the short Latin phrase "DEI GRA" (meaning "by the grace of God") was left out of the King's title on the coin. People were upset about this, so the phrase was put back on later coins.
In 1920, the amount of silver in silver coins was changed from 92.5% to 80%. Also, the 1¢ coin was made smaller. In 1921, the last silver 5¢ coins were made. These are very rare today! In 1922, the 5¢ coin was changed to a larger coin made of nickel, because Canada had a lot of nickel.
The first Canadian silver $1 coin was made in 1935 to celebrate King George V's 25 years as King. This coin had a famous design of "coureur des bois" (fur traders) in a canoe. These coins are often called "voyageur dollars."
1936 Dot Coins
King George V died in 1936. His son, King Edward VIII, became King. But he gave up the throne before any Canadian coins with his picture could be made.
In 1937, Canada needed more 1¢, 10¢, and 25¢ coins. But the Royal Canadian Mint was waiting for new tools to make coins with the new King's picture. So, they decided to make coins dated 1936, but they added a small dot near the date. This dot showed that the coins were actually made in 1937. These "dot coins" are very rare and valuable today!
Gold Coins
Canada also made gold coins for everyday use from 1912 to 1914. These were $5 and $10 coins. But they stopped making them when World War I started, as the government needed the gold to help pay for the war.
King George VI Coins
In late 1937, new tools arrived, and coins with the picture of King George VI were made. Many of the coin designs we see today started around this time:
- 1¢: A twig with two maple leaves.
- 5¢: A beaver sitting on a rock.
- 10¢: The famous Bluenose racing ship.
- 25¢: A caribou's head.
- 50¢: The Coat-of-Arms of Canada.
- $1: The Voyageur design.
During World War II, nickel was needed for the war. So, the 5¢ coin was made from a different metal called tombac for a while.
1947 Maple Leaf Coins
Until 1947, King George VI's coins included the title "Emperor of India." When India became independent that year, this title needed to be removed from the coins. However, Canada still needed to make coins. So, while waiting for new tools, they made coins dated 1947 but added a small maple leaf symbol next to the date. This showed that these coins were actually made in 1948.
King George VI Royal Coins (1948–1952)
Once the new tools arrived, coins were made with the updated title for King George VI. In 1949, a special silver $1 coin was made to celebrate Newfoundland joining Canada as the tenth province.
Queen Elizabeth II Coins
The Queen's Picture
Over the years, four different pictures of Elizabeth II have been used on Canadian coins. New pictures were introduced in 1953, 1965, 1990, and 2003.
- The first picture (1953-1964) showed a young Queen with a laurel wreath in her hair.
- In 1965, a new picture showed a more grown-up Queen wearing a tiara. The Latin phrase was also shortened.
- The pictures used in 1990 and 2003 were designed by Canadian artists and are unique to Canadian coins.
Other Changes
In 1959, the design on the back of the 50-cent coin was updated to show a simpler Canadian coat of arms.
In 1968, coins worth 10 cents and more stopped being made of silver and were changed to nickel. This made them less expensive to produce.
In 2000, all coins worth less than $1 were changed to steel with copper or nickel plating. In 2012, the $1 and $2 coins also started being made of steel. The 50-cent coin is still made, but not in large numbers, so it's rare to find one in your change.
Coins made in 2002 have a special double-date on the front: "1952–2002." This was to celebrate the Queen's 50th year as monarch.
Charles III Coins
The Royal Canadian Mint has announced that new coins featuring Charles III will be released in late 2023.
Special Coins and Fun Facts
Special Edition Coins
The Mint has made many special edition coins.
- From 1943 to 1945, the "Victory nickel" was made to support Canada's efforts in World War II.
- In 1967, all Canadian coins had special designs to celebrate Canada's 100th birthday.
- In 1973, a "Mountie quarter" was made to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
In recent years, many special 25¢ coins have been made. There have also been special $2 coins, like one for the creation of Nunavut, and $1 coins, like one honoring Canadian peacekeepers. A special Terry Fox $1 coin started circulating in 2005.
In 2004, the Royal Canadian Mint released a 25¢ poppy coin. This coin has a red poppy (a flower) in the middle, making it the world's first colored coin used in general circulation! The color is supposed to last for several years, but it can rub off. Even if the color is gone, the coin is still worth 25¢.
In 2005, a new "Victory nickel" was released to mark 60 years since the end of World War II. Also in 2005, special 25¢ and $5 coins were made to celebrate the 100th birthdays of Alberta and Saskatchewan provinces.
In 2007, the mint announced they would make a huge 100-kilogram gold coin, the size of a large pizza, with a face value of $1 million! Five of these were made and sold to collectors.
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The Alberta Centennial Coin
-
$1M 100 kg gold coin
Coin Stories and Myths
Some interesting stories and myths have been told about Canadian coins:
- The center can pop out of a toonie. This is actually true, but only for some of the first toonies made in 1996. These early coins had a problem where the center could separate if hit hard or frozen. This problem was quickly fixed.
- The 50¢ coin is no longer made or used. This is false! The 50¢ coin is still made every year by the Royal Canadian Mint, mostly for coin collectors. It's rare to find one in your change because not many are made for general use. However, you can sometimes get them at Canada Post offices.
- The crown in the Queen's portrait is wrong. When a new picture of the Queen was used on coins in 1990, some people thought the artist just added a crown that the Queen didn't actually wear. This is not true; the Queen posed for the portrait wearing one of her real crowns.
The Queen's Portraits (Effigies)
The picture of the Queen on Canadian coins is called an "effigy."
- 1953: When Queen Elizabeth II became Queen, a new picture was needed. There were two versions of her first portrait because of a small issue with the design. One version had a "no shoulder fold" and the other had a "shoulder fold" on her gown. The "shoulder fold" version became the standard.
- 1965: The Queen's picture was updated to show her with more mature features and wearing a tiara.
- 1990: A new picture showed the Queen wearing a diamond crown and jewelry.
- 2003: To celebrate 50 years of the Queen's reign, a new picture was introduced. This time, the Queen was shown without a headdress, which was the first time a monarch's picture on a Canadian coin was shown without one since her father, King George VI.
Mint Mark
The Royal Canadian Mint started putting its own logo on all its coins as a "mint mark" in 2006. This mark helps people know where the coin was made.
Coin Records
- The 1911 $1 coin is extremely rare and valuable. Only two silver coins and one lead coin are known to exist. The government decided not to make $1 coins for general use that year.
- The 1921 50-cent coin is considered the rarest Canadian coin for everyday use. Even though many were made, most were melted down because there wasn't much demand for them at the time. Only about 50 of these coins are believed to still exist today.
Victory Nickel
During World War II, the 5-cent coin design was changed. The new coin had a large "V" on the back, which stood for "Victory." It also had a secret message in Morse Code: "We Win When We Work Willingly."
Because metals like copper and zinc were needed for the war, the 5¢ coin was first made from tombac, then from steel. The steel coins sometimes rusted on the edges. After the war, the Mint went back to using nickel, but steel was used again for a short time during the Korean War in 1951.
