Posted 09/25/2009 03:45 am
Half cents: Canada has never issued such a denomination. Some Canadian provinces issued halfpennies, back in the early 1800's. Those were copper, as were the pennies of the same period.
Cents: prior to 1997, bronze. The alloy is slightly different to the bronze used in US cents. 1997 to 2006 they were plated zinc (like US cents), since 2006 they've been plated steel.
5 cents: a complex series.
- up to 1921: silver, .925 fine. These coins are small, like US Half Dimes.
- 1922 to 1942: pure nickel.
- 1942 to 1943: a brass alloy known as "tombac".
- 1944 to 1954: chromium/nickel-plated steel. These coins "rust" easily after becoming worn in circulation.
- 1955 to 1982: pure nickel again. There was also a 1951 circulating commemorative for the 200th anniversary of the discovery of nickel; this coin was also (logically) made of pure nickel.
- 1982 to 2003: cupronickel (the same alloy as in US nickels).
- from 1999, coins also were struck in plated steel.
10 cents, 25 cents and 50 cents: sterling silver up to 1919, .800 fine silver up to 1967, .500 silver in 1968, pure nickel from 1968 to 2003, plated steel introduced from 1999.
Dollars: .800 fine silver from 1936 to 1967, nickel from 1968 to 1987, from 1987 the smaller golden 'Loonie" dollars are "aureate-bronze-plated-nickel". I suspect your "1967" coin might really be from 1987, if it's brassy-yellow in colour; does it have a bird in flight, or floating on the water? If it's a bird in flight, then it's a silver "Goose dollar" of 1967 that's toned strangely. If it's floating on water, then it's the loonie, and actually dated 1987.
The easiest way to tell apart "silvery" coins of differing composition issued in the same years is with a magnet. If it sticks, it's either pure nickel or plated steel. If it doesn't stick, it has to be either cupronickel or silver.
Cents: prior to 1997, bronze. The alloy is slightly different to the bronze used in US cents. 1997 to 2006 they were plated zinc (like US cents), since 2006 they've been plated steel.
5 cents: a complex series.
- up to 1921: silver, .925 fine. These coins are small, like US Half Dimes.
- 1922 to 1942: pure nickel.
- 1942 to 1943: a brass alloy known as "tombac".
- 1944 to 1954: chromium/nickel-plated steel. These coins "rust" easily after becoming worn in circulation.
- 1955 to 1982: pure nickel again. There was also a 1951 circulating commemorative for the 200th anniversary of the discovery of nickel; this coin was also (logically) made of pure nickel.
- 1982 to 2003: cupronickel (the same alloy as in US nickels).
- from 1999, coins also were struck in plated steel.
10 cents, 25 cents and 50 cents: sterling silver up to 1919, .800 fine silver up to 1967, .500 silver in 1968, pure nickel from 1968 to 2003, plated steel introduced from 1999.
Dollars: .800 fine silver from 1936 to 1967, nickel from 1968 to 1987, from 1987 the smaller golden 'Loonie" dollars are "aureate-bronze-plated-nickel". I suspect your "1967" coin might really be from 1987, if it's brassy-yellow in colour; does it have a bird in flight, or floating on the water? If it's a bird in flight, then it's a silver "Goose dollar" of 1967 that's toned strangely. If it's floating on water, then it's the loonie, and actually dated 1987.
The easiest way to tell apart "silvery" coins of differing composition issued in the same years is with a magnet. If it sticks, it's either pure nickel or plated steel. If it doesn't stick, it has to be either cupronickel or silver.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
