Comments on "Canadian coinage since 1937"

[<k>]

I chose the year 1937 as the starting point for the main topic, because I knew that the current design series has its roots in that year. It has changed significantly since that time, however.

Below you see the coin set as it was in 1983. At that point little had changed, apart from the metal content, though the 1 cent coin appeared briefly as a 12-sided coin. Also the design of the reverse of the 50 cents coin had changed significantly in 1958, in order to accommodate the amended coat of arms of the day. Since then, the penny (1 cent coin) has been demonetised and the reverse design of the 50 cents coin has changed yet again. The 5, 10 and 25 cents coins retain their original designs, more or less - the schooner on the 10 cents coin was given a makeover in 1968, however. Those three coins also retain their original size.

The additions to the original coin series, the loonie ($1) and the toonie ($2) coins are absolute design classics. They fit perfectly with the rest of the set, and I give the coin design series full marks for beauty and also for stylistic and thematic consistency between designs.

Comparing the longevity of the series to the decimal series of Australia and New Zealand, I see that NZ has retained only one design from its original set of 1967, namely the HMS Endeavour on the 50 cents coin - though the coin itself has been much reduced in size since 2006. The NZ 1, 2 and 5 cents coins were eventually demonetised. Australia has also demonetised its 1 and 2 cents coins since 1966, but the designs on the reverse of the 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents coins remain the same. Also the size, metal and weight of the 5, 10 and 20 cents coins remain the same, I understand. The 50 cents coin is no longer round nor in silver, but it retains it original design of the coat of arms.

[<k>]

One thing I learnt is that the 50 cents coin is as little used in Canada as it is in the USA. I wonder why there is this bias against the 50 unit coin. How about Australia, NZ, and in fact any other country? In my country, the UK, the 50 pence coin sees regular use, though possibly its quirkily unusual shape helped it gain acceptance in the early days. And of course nowadays multiple commemorative themes are to be found on the UK 50 pence coin.

[<k>]

I notice that the Canadians also use the same nicknames for their coins as the citizens of the USA: the penny (1 cent - now defunct); the nickel (5 cents, formerly made of nickel); the dime (10 cents); and the quarter (25 cents). However, the USA does include the legend 'ONE DIME' on the 10 cents coin - presumably to distinguish it from the 2 and 3 dime coins.   Apart from the US quarter and half dollar, however, the actual denominations are given in cents on the US 1 and 5 cents coins.

[quaziright]

I have never seen the 50cent coin circulate here in Ontario. I suspect if ever it does, it's because someone broke it out of a roll they bought directly from the mint. I have found a few 25cent o'canada commemoratives which were never issued for circulation in change.

There are officially atleast no pennies, nickels, dimes or quarters in Canada, but just like everything else, we are torn between our English roots and our need for American validation

[Alan71]

One thing I learnt is that the 50 cents coin is as little used in Canada as it is in the USA. I wonder why there is this bias against the 50 unit coin. How about Australia, NZ, and in fact any other country? In my country, the UK, the 50 pence coin sees regular use, though possibly its quirkily unusual shape helped it gain acceptance in the early days. And of course nowadays multiple commemorative themes are to be found on the UK 50 pence coin.

That's because they have a 25c coin instead of a 20c.  In the US and Canada, the 50c rarely circulates because it's just as easy to give two 25c coins in change as it is one 50c.  In countries that have a 20p/20c coin, the only alternative to a 50p/50c is two 20 and and a 10.  The one additional coin in change makes all the difference. 

It's similar to the half crown in the UK - there was never any need for a circulating Crown, so it remained a commemorative.  Having visited both the US and Canada many times, and used their currencies, I can confidently agree that a 50c coin isn't needed.

Again from experience, I can confirm that the Australian and New Zealand 50c coins are used as much as the 50p is in the sterling/pound at par zone.  Like the UK's 20p, they both have a 20c coin rather than a 25c.

[<k>]

That makes excellent sense. And Australia and NZ do use a 20c coin, so the 50c is necessary in those countries. The same goes for the eurozone.

In the UK in predecimal days, though, we did have a 10 shillings note - equivalent to four half crowns.

[<k>]

Looking now at the approximate coin sizes of the coins that were first introduced in 1937:

1 cent  - 19 mm (demonetised since 2013)
5 cents - 21.2 mm
10 cents - 18 mm
25 cents - 23.9 mm
50 cents - 27.1 mm

You see that they are relatively small, so they have stood the test of time well. Only the 50c is on the large side, but in practice it is rarely used.

An anomaly is the fact that the 5c coin is larger than the 10c coin. Today, both are minted in nickel-plated steel. Originally the 5c coin was nickel and the 10c coin was silver - just like their US counterparts. Since they were originally in different metals, they were considered as belonging to different coin 'families', hence the 10c being smaller than the 5c was not regarded as an anomaly. It's therefore an entirely different situation from the Australians making their brassy 2 dollar coin smaller than their brassy 1 dollar coin. 

[<k>]

The other factor worth mentioning about the Canadian coins is the sheer number of variations in the regular 1 cent and 5 cents coins. They have been produced in various different shapes and metal alloys over the years. Even the 10 cents coin has quite a few variations.

I forgot to touch on the 'small portrait' / 'large portrait' issue for various coins, because I find it difficult to spot the difference. Maybe somebody could explain this for me?

[<k>]

That's because they have a 25c coin instead of a 20c.  In the US and Canada, the 50c rarely circulates because it's just as easy to give two 25c coins in change as it is one 50c.

Clearly there is another factor at work here, otherwise people would say, it's just as easy to give two 5c coins in change as it is one 10c. And in the UK, that would mean that any denomination of coin that is double the value of another would be unpopular: the 10 pence and the 20 pence coins, along with the 1 pound and 2 pound coins. However, you have complained on numerous occasions that you dislike receiving two 1 pound coins rather than one 2 pound coin. So now, what is this other factor that is at work in the 25 cent countries?

[Pabitra]

In the UK in predecimal days, though, we did have a 10 shillings note - equivalent to four half crowns.

Why is it called equivalent to four half crowns and not two crowns?

[<k>]

Why is it called equivalent to four half crowns and not two crowns?

It isn't. I called it that, but either is possible, as you know. 

[<k>]

As well as the new special circulating set of 2017, issued to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation, the Royal Canadian Mint also produced a replica set in silver of the 1967 Centennial coin set. The time, however, the years '1967-2017' were shown.

All images are copyright of the Royal Canadian Mint.

[<k>]

See: Loonie variations.