Canada, 25 cents (ice hockey), 2007

I found some foreign coins at the bank, so I now have some Coin of the Day material.

Canada, 25 cents (ice hockey), 2007 (KM #683)

Between 2007 and 2010, the Canadian Mint released 16 quarters as part of a series building hype for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. As it turns out, the gold medal finalist game for ice hockey that year was a real corker of a match… the USA versus Canada. The Canadians fought hard, and well earned their gold medal on home ice for their favorite sport!

As for the value of this coin, the Canadian dollar is just under par with the US dollar right now, so this coin is worth USD $0.241.

Metal Nickel-plated Steel
Weight 4.4 g
Diameter 23.88 mm
Thickness 1.58 mm
Engraver Susanna Blunt (obverse)
Shape Round
Orientation Medal alignment

Canada, 1 cent, 1977

Close to home, here’s a Canadian coin for a change.

Canada, 1 cent, 1977 (KM #59.1)

Ah, 1977… back when US and Canadian cents were still bronze. 1977 will be forever remembered as the year that gave us Star Wars.

This coin is still worth one cent in Canada, and will exchange for a US cent too. I wonder how long that will last as Canada currently debates the discontinuation of the cent. it is my opinion that the fate of the one cent coin (both US and Canadian) is purely political; its economic fate has already been sealed. I think both US and Canadian cents will stop production by decade’s end, 2020.

Mintage = 453,762,670
Metal Bronze
Weight 3.24 g
Diameter 19.05 mm
Thickness 1.65 mm
Engravers Arnold Machin (obverse)
George Edward Kruger Gray (reverse)
Shape Round
Orientation Medal alignment

Canada, 5 cents, 1944

My first coin pulled today was a repeat, the exact same 1943 threepence last featured here. The second pull is new.

Canada, 5 cents, 1944 (KM #40a)

The Canadian nickel has the most honest name in numismatics. It was made of solid pure nickel. But during World War II, when nickel was needed for the war effort, the Canadians changed the content to brass in 1942, and chrome-plated steel in 1944. Nickel nickels resumed in 1946. This coin shares some similarities with its pull-mate. Both are thick, both have twelve sides, and both feature the bust of King George VI.

The V on the reverse of this nickel has two meanings. It gives the coin’s face value as a Roman numeral, and it is am emblem of Canada’s desire for Victory in the war. The neatest thing about this coin, however, as also the most overlooked. Take a look at the denticles along the inside of the rim on the reverse. It’s really Morse Code for “we win when we work willingly”. Kudos to the artist for their attention to detail!

You can still spend this coin in Canada for five cents, something I don’t get to say often for many of these foreign coins. Nickel mintage in 1944 was 11,532,784.

Metal Chrome-plated steel
Weight 4.54 g
Diameter 21.234 mm
Thickness 1.7 mm
Engravers Thomas Humphrey Paget (obverse)
Thomas Shingles (reverse)
Shape Dodecagonal
Orientation Medal alignment

Canada, 5 cents, 1941

Today’s coin is more local than usual.

Canada, 5 cents, 1941 (KM #33)

George VI makes this third consecutive appearance, this time on Canada, paired with a beaver. Wren, kangaroo, beaver… what’s next, elephant? The Canadian nickel has been using the beaver design since 1937. It lives up to the name “nickel” by being made of solid nickel. (Oddly enough, US nickels have always been 25% nickel or less). Mintage in 1941 is 8,681,785. The Canadian dollar is above par, as it has been off and on for the last few years, so this coin is worth 5.2 cents USD despite its age.

Metal Nickel
Weight 4.54 g
Diameter 21.2 mm
Thickness 1.7 mm
Engravers Thomas Hugh Paget (obverse)
George Edward Kruger Gray (reverse)
Shape Round
Orientation Medal alignment