The new coin is colloquially called the ' loonie', for the common loon on its reverse, and the name is frequently applied to the currency unit as well. The dies were lost or stolen in November 1986, requiring a redesign. The coin was to be the voyageur-design silver (then nickel) dollar coins that had previously been in limited circulation. The $1 banknote remained in issue and in circulation alongside the one-dollar coin for the next two years, until it was withdrawn in 1989. The $1 coin (the 'loonie') was released in 1987. The most significant recent developments in Canadian coinage were the introduction of $1 and $2 coins and the withdrawal of the one cent piece. 'Liberty head' nickels of 1883 to 1913, which were 21.2 mm and copper-nickel alloy, but more like the older U.S. The Canadian 5¢ coins, until the larger nickel coins of 1922, were 15 mm silver coins quite different from the U.S. Likewise, the Canadian quarter (23.81 mm diameter) was virtually identical in size and value to the British shilling – worth 12 British pence or about 24 Canadian cents, with a 24-millimetre ( 15⁄ 16 in) diameter. For example, the large Canadian penny was identical in size and value to the contemporary British half-penny, which was 25.4 mm (1.00 in) in the Edward VII version, and slightly larger during Victoria's reign. There was formerly some correspondence between the size of Canadian coins and British coins of similar value. Their differing physical characteristics prevent them from being accepted interchangeably by most coin-operated machines. but are more often in states that see many Canadian visitors. Canadian coins are not commonly accepted in the U.S. dollar, it is common in Canada to accept U.S. Due to the usually higher value of the U.S. and Canadian coins worth 5 cents, 10 cents and 25 cents sometimes circulate in the other country. Because they are easily mistaken for each other, U.S.

penny settled on its current size in 1857, whereas the Canadian penny was much larger (25.4 mm (1.00 in)) until 1920. They have a different metallic composition and most of them are thinner, and thus weigh slightly less, than the analogous U.S. coins, though this was not always the case. The sizes of the coins other than the 50¢ piece are roughly equal to those of current U.S. Other than the $2 coin (for which there is no United States analog), the denominations of Canadian coinage correspond to those of United States coinage. This coin is sometimes called a 'half-dollar'. Between the years 20 the Royal Canadian Mint struck less than 16 million of them in comparison, during the same period over 2.25 billion quarters were released. The 50¢ piece is far less circulated than other Canadian coins. For table standards, see the coin specification table. These images are to scale at 2.5 pixels per millimetre. Intermittent milled / smooth / edge-lettered The production of the Canadian 1-cent piece (known as the 'penny') was discontinued in 2012, as inflation had reduced its value significantly below the cost of production.Ĭanadian coins have medallic orientation, like British or euro coins, and unlike U.S. The three smallest coins are known by the traditional names 'nickel' (5¢), 'dime' (10¢), and 'quarter' (25¢), and the one-dollar and two-dollar coins are called the 'loonie' (for the loon depiction on the reverse) and the 'toonie' (a portmanteau of 'two' and 'loonie') respectively. '10-cent piece'), but in practice only the 50-cent piece is known by that name. Officially they are each named according to their value (e.g. There are six denominations of Canadian circulation coinage in production: 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, and $2. There are standard images which appear on the reverse, but there are also commemorative and numismatic issues with different images on the reverse. An effigy of the reigning monarch always appears on the obverse of all coins. The coins of Canada are produced by the Royal Canadian Mint and denominated in Canadian dollars ($) and the subunit of dollars, cents (¢). JSTOR ( September 2010) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message).Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.įind sources: 'Coins of the Canadian dollar' – news Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. This article needs additional citations for verification.

American coins names