Hmmm...my knowledge is limtited as I am still learning. So here is some information from the
RCM website.
1 CENT:
The maple leaf is a proud and distinctive Canadian symbol, appearing on all Canadian coins minted between Confederation and 1935. The modern one-cent coin features two maple leaves on a common twig. The design, created by G.E. Kruger Gray, was first used in 1937 and has remained unchanged. It was, however, temporarily replaced. In 1967 to celebrate Canada's Centennial, a rock dove designed by renowned Canadian artist Alex Colville appeared on the reverse of the one-cent coin. The Countess of Grey struck the first one-cent coin on January 2, 1908 at the official opening of the Ottawa branch of
The Royal Mint (which became the
Royal Canadian Mint in 1931). Today's one-cent coin, modified in 2000 to reduce cost, is made of copper-plated steel (94% steel, 1.5% nickel, 4.5% copper). From 1997 until 2000, the coin was made of copper-plated zinc. Prior to 1997 the one-cent coin was 98% copper, 1.75% zinc and 0.25% other metals.
5 CENT:
The beaver has a long history in Canada as both commodity and cultural icon. The Hurons honoured the beaver hundreds of years ago as the totem of their tribe. Native peoples used the beaver emblem to sign treaties with the first colonists. Since then the beaver has appeared in the heraldic bearings of Quebec City and Montreal, and even marked Canada's first postage stamp. The beaver coin design was created by Canadian artist G.E. Kruger Gray and was first used in 1937. The five-cent coin was made of cupro-nickel (75% copper and 25% nickel) from 1982 until 2000, when its composition was changed to nickel-plated steel (94.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel).
10 CENT:
Artist Emanuel Hahn developed his design for the ten-cent coin from photos of the famous Bluenose schooner. It is meant to symbolize both the magnitude of the fishing industry in Canada and the maritime skills of Canadians. The Bluenose was not only a racing schooner, but also one of the great fishing vessels that helped build the reputation of the Grand Banks fishery. The design was first issued in 1937. The ten-cent coin was made of nickel from 1968 until 2000, when its composition was changed to nickel-plated steel (92% steel, 5.5% copper, 2.5% nickel).
25 CENT:
The caribou on a twenty-five-cent piece dates back to 1936 when a change in the sovereign's image on circulation currency prompted the Canadian government to modify the designs on the reverse side of coins as well. The caribou design was created by Canadian artist Emanuel Hahn and was first used in 1937. It has been temporarily replaced through the years; in 1967 for the Canada Centennial design of a prowling bobcat, in 1973 to celebrate the centennial of the founding of the North West Mounted Police, in 1992 for Canada's 125th birthday, in 1999 and 2000 by the winning designs of the Millennium coin programme, and in 2002 for a special Canada Day design. The twenty-five-cent coin was made of nickel from 1968 until 2000, when its composition was changed to nickel-plated steel (94% steel, 3.8% copper, 2.2% nickel).
50 CENT:
The fifty-cent coin bears the Canadian Coat of Arms. It honours the four founding nations of Canada: England, Scotland, Ireland and France. The inscription, "A Mari usque ad Mare," means "from sea to sea"; the second inscription, "Desiderantes meliorem patriam," means "they desire a better country." The current design was produced by former
Royal Canadian Mint engraver Thomas Shingles and was first used in 1959. In recent decades, the fifty-cent circulation coin has not been widely used in day-to-day transactions, yet it remains popular with coin collectors. The fifty-cent coin was made of nickel from 1968 until 2000, when its composition was changed to nickel-plated steel (93.15% steel, 4.75% copper, 2.1% nickel).
1 DOLLAR:
The one-dollar circulation coin was introduced in 1987 as a cost-saving measure to replace one-dollar bank notes. The coin was instantly dubbed the "Loonie," after the solitary loon that graces the coin's reverse side. The nickname caught on and Canadians have been using it ever since. The loon design was created by noted wildlife artist Robert-Ralph Carmichael. The one-dollar coin is made of aureate bronze plated on pure nickel.
2 DOLLAR:
The two-dollar coin or "Toonie," as Canadians have named it, features the image of an adult polar bear in early summer on an ice floe, and was designed by wildlife and landscapes artist Brent Townsend. The two-dollar coin was first introduced on February 19, 1996 to replace the two-dollar bank note; it has a life span approximately 20 times longer than paper currency. The two-dollar coin is manufactured using a distinctive bi-metallic coin locking mechanism patented by the
Royal Canadian Mint. The outer ring of the coin is nickel and the inner core is aluminum bronze (92% copper, 6% aluminium, 2% nickel).
Posted 05/17/2005 2:35 pm
