Elizabeth II reign and portrait era
Elizabeth II One Cent (2003–2012)
Canada’s one-cent coins with the uncrowned Elizabeth II portrait belong to the 2003–2012 production period. The portrait continued on other denominations after cent production ended; 2022 is not the last year of the circulating cent.
Scope is limited to the verified type or program level. Issue mintages, prices, varieties, and survival estimates are not inferred from this summary.
One cent reign and portrait eras
Know the boundary before the date
Start with the denomination and date, then use the design, technical standards and annual production table to build a consistent record of your coin.
- Primary identifiers — Reverse: Two maple leaves on a twig; K·G initials at right. Obverse: Elizabeth II effigy (Susanna Blunt portrait).
- Authority and dates — Canada; recorded range 2003–2012.
- Evidence boundary — Unknown specifications remain unknown; unverified varieties, mintages, and prices stay outside the public catalog.
The historical scope of Elizabeth II One Cent (2003–2012)
The 2003 portrait transition and the 2012 end of cent production define this collecting scope. Read the date on the coin and use the one-cent technical standards below; a portrait-era date range describes the ruler’s image across denominations, not this denomination’s production.
The catalog places this record in the One cent branch, records its material scope as 94% steel, 1.5% nickel, 4.5% copper plating; the Mint notes copper-plated zinc was also used, and records its finish as circulation. Those fields are supported by the sources listed below; missing issue-level transitions are not filled by inference.
- 2012–2013 · Production and distribution end — Minting ended in 2012 and cash rounding began when distribution ceased in 2013.
Design and identification
Compare the uncrowned Elizabeth II obverse with the maple-leaf one-cent reverse, then record the date and physical measurements. The Mint’s standards note plated steel and parallel copper-plated zinc production; do not treat all coins in the period as a single uniform alloy or infer composition from colour alone.
- Small cent · maple-leaf twig · 1937–1966, 1968–1981, 1997–2012 · G.E. Kruger-Gray — Two naturalistic maple leaves share a twig; K·G appears to the right. The same reverse identity continued through later round plated-metal generations.
Finish by checking the edge (plain), composition (94% steel, 1.5% nickel, 4.5% copper plating; the Mint notes copper-plated zinc was also used), and any recorded dimensions or weight; colour or wear alone is not enough for attribution.
Official annual production
See the annual catalog below for production totals and their scope. Production is not a measure of survival or rarity.
Displayed-row sum: 7,057,939,000 · 10 official annual rows
Three anchors that do not depend on price
- 2003–2012 — The verified range assigned to Elizabeth II One Cent (2003–2012) in this catalog.
- Two maple leaves on a twig; K·G initials at right — The principal reverse is the first type-level attribution check.
- 94% steel, 1.5% nickel, 4.5% copper plating; the Mint notes copper-plated zinc was also used — Compare it with the plain edge and any recorded measurements.
Specifications within this type
2000–2012 · Round
- Composition
- 94% steel, 1.5% nickel, 4.5% copper plating; the Mint notes copper-plated zinc was also used
- Weight
- 2.35 g
- Diameter
- 19.05 mm
- Thickness
- 1.45 mm
Official annual production catalog
Annual rows are denomination totals filtered to this requested era. They may combine portraits, commemorative reverses, or parallel formats and are not presented as portrait-only production. One-cent issues with the Susanna Blunt portrait were produced from 2003 through 2012. The 2003–2022 portrait period applies to other Canadian denominations, not continuing cent production.
| Year | Design context | Technical context | Mintage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Maple-leaf-twig small cent | 19.05 mm · 2.35 g | 748,123,000 |
| 2004 | Maple-leaf-twig small cent | 19.05 mm · 2.35 g | 842,486,000 |
| 2005 | Maple-leaf-twig small cent | 19.05 mm · 2.35 g | 767,425,000 |
| 2006 | Maple-leaf-twig small cent | 19.05 mm · 2.35 g | 1,261,883,000 |
| 2007 | Maple-leaf-twig small cent | 19.05 mm · 2.35 g | 846,420,000 |
| 2008 | Maple-leaf-twig small cent | 19.05 mm · 2.35 g | 787,625,000 |
| 2009 | Maple-leaf-twig small cent | 19.05 mm · 2.35 g | 455,680,000 |
| 2010 | Maple-leaf-twig small cent | 19.05 mm · 2.35 g | 486,200,000 |
| 2011 | Maple-leaf-twig small cent | 19.05 mm · 2.35 g | 662,750,000 |
| 2012 | Maple-leaf-twig small cent | 19.05 mm · 2.35 g | 199,347,000 |
Collecting paths and checklist
Build a dated one-cent checklist from 2003 through 2012, keeping metal attribution separate from the portrait. Photograph both faces and record measurements without cleaning. Consult the cited one-cent specifications when an observed weight or magnetic response needs further investigation.
- One-coin type study — Choose one representative that clearly shows the principal obverse and reverse, then learn the type boundary.
- Design and technical generations — Add a generation only when sources confirm a change in composition, shape, size, edge, or principal design.
- Source-backed date study — Expand into dates or varieties only after issue identity, specifications, and production evidence are verified field by field.
Collector checklist
- Do not clean the coin; cleaning changes surfaces and can obscure evidence.
- Compare date, portrait, design, edge, weight, diameter, and metal response together.
- Have consequential or high-value attributions reviewed by an appropriate specialist or certification service.
- Catalog information is research context, not an appraisal, offer, or investment guarantee.
Two source conflicts remain visible
The Royal Canadian Mint technical table gives 25.4 mm for 1908–1920 large cents, while the Bank of Canada Museum narrative says the pre-1920 coin shrank from 24.4 mm. This page uses 25.4 mm in the specification table because it is the Mint's explicit technical value and does not silently merge the discrepancy. The Mint denomination page and 2012 report spell the 1911–1920 contributor “Blackmore”; the Royal Mint Museum and another Mint product record identify the resident engraver as W.H.J. Blakemore, the spelling used here.
Sources
- 1 centRoyal Canadian Mint
One-cent reverse designs, designers, technical generations, annual mintages from 1908 through 2012, and the end of production in 2012.
- Whatever happened to the penny? A history of our one-cent coinBank of Canada Museum
The 1858 introduction, Ottawa production, 1920 size change, 1936 dot coins, design transitions, metal changes, final 2012 strike, withdrawal, and rounded historical production total.
- Australian pattern florinRoyal Mint Museum
W.H.J. Blakemore's name spelling and role as a resident engraver at the Royal Mint.
- One cent coins of CanadaWikimedia Commons
High-resolution, license-documented visual references for the 1858, 1920, 1937, and 1967 reverse identities used to ground the project-owned editorial hero composite.
- Government of Canada and Royal Canadian Mint bid farewell to the Canadian pennyGovernment of Canada
Penny phase-out chronology and final distribution in February 2013.
- A History of the Canadian DollarBank of Canada
Decimal adoption, 1858 coinage, 1870 Dominion coinage, provincial issues, Newfoundland, and mint history.
- Faces of the MonarchRoyal Canadian Mint
Canadian coin obverse portrait chronology through Charles III.