Canadian cents

Dick · Expert Member

Kurt, I didn't put them under the torch, or on the Bunsen burner, but I did put them under the wheels of the steam locomotive, on the AT&SF Ry. I lived verry close to the tracks, at one time. Like next to the main line! There was a spur, that the company would set a water tanker on, to fill the storage tank in the house. There barely was room to walk between the car, and the house. Hmmmm, I wonder how many 1909-S VDB's "bit the dust" then? This was from 1927 thru 1940. LOL I'll be waiting to hear what develops in the ongoing "mystery coins" series!
Dick

eagames · Expert Member

Dick, If we could add up the cents mangled by kids it's a lot!

What I meant is all 3 things cause a similar look but spooning does not make waves and it's on both sides like it was in acid.

Looking for pics of Canada struck throughs and didn't find anything except photos of ones struck through capped dies. I did find a funny site, it had instructions for kids in science class on how to acid dip cents. So we were not the only ones that mangled a few cents and they can eventualy get back in circulation to puzzle everyone LOL!!!

www.spaceclick.ca/klmc/downloads/streakplate_january_february_2005.pdf

Dick · Expert Member

ED. I was looking thru that link you posted. The kids don't have enough imagination, now days to come up with the "saner" ways of entertainment, that we kids, in the 30's, 40's, and 50's. No cell phones, ipods, all the junk they have now, makes them pretty lazy! there was a lot of interesting reading there, tho. I learned a cpouple things. I have used soapstone for many years, but never knew what the composition was, nor the many ways it is used for heat absorsion, and release afterward.

And then the things they tell kids to help them impress the ladies!. Tyhganks for the link.
Dick

eagames · Expert Member

Anyone know what years the Canada cents are made in zinc and in steel?

Nice to add it to the variety list that Robert posted.

smed · Senior Member

Bronze thru 1996, copper plated zinc from 97-2001, with a bronze issue in the 1998 Specimen sets, bronze plated zinc commems in 2002 and 2003, copper plated steel 2002-date. It's a bit confusing and I may not have it all correct -- info came from the 2006 Krause and 2008 Haxby.

eagames · Expert Member

I guess the years I'm confused on are 2002-2008.

2002 commem zinc and steel (is there also zinc and steel non commem for 2002?)
2003 steel (did they also make zinc? did they also make commems and are they zinc and steel?)
2004 zinc and steel
2005 zinc (did they also make steel?)
2006 zinc and steel
2007 steel (did they also make zinc?)
2008 (???????)

Are the P or symbol mintmarked ones always the steel ones?
(maybe someone can explain the mintmarks and what years have them)

Laughing

smed · Senior Member

According to Haxby, the P means copper plated steel... not sure about zinc and steel in the same years.

Robert · Senior Member

The Canadian mint is developing a reputation for issuing a LOT of, shall I dare say, "unnecessary" collector coins. They're getting almost as bad as the Marshall Islands.

I may be wrong, but here's my understanding of the Can cents during that period per my Charlton:

2002 zinc and steel. All 2002 cents have the double dates.
2003 zinc and steel. No circulating commems, but there was a "proof" 50th anniv of the coronation and another gold plated "mint report" cent. There was also mid-year portrait change for circulation strikes.
2004 zinc and steel circulation strikes
2005 zinc and steel circulation strikes (also a steel "First Day" unc cent which is not intended for circulation)
2006 zinc and steel (this one's complicated: '06 zinc circ; '06 zinc w/ new logo under portrait cirulation; '06 steel circ; '06 steel "Last Day" unc cent not intended for circulation; '06 steel w/ new logo circ; and '06 "First Day" steel unc cent not intended for circulation. I think that's everything.)
2007 steel (no circulating zinc cents were made but there is a proof '07 new logo zinc cent labeled "N.I.I.").
2008 (???????)

The '04, '05 and '06 circulation coins also came in an "RCM" (Royal Canadian Mint) roll.

The "new logo" for '06 and newer is a maple leaf inside a circle. It's placed directly below the Queen's portrait where the "P" was.

Also the zinc collector coins come in "proof" while the steel ones come in "specimen".

If you see "N.I.I." in their catalog it means "not issued individually" which means it's part of a mint-issued set.

So, who is ready for a pop quiz? Confused

Robert · Senior Member

"Are the P or symbol mintmarked ones always the steel ones?
(maybe someone can explain the mintmarks and what years have them)"

"P" = "steel core". On cents, "P" coins exist from 1999 to 2006.
"L" = "new logo". It's on some zinc cents (2006 circ plus 2007 proofs) but it's mostly on steel coins. It basically replaced the "P" on steel cents.

"P" on a cent is "multi-ply plated steel". It's a steel core, plated a thin nickel layer and a thin copper layer.

"P" on a nickel, dime, quarter and half means the coin is made of "multi-ply plated steel". It's a steel core, plated a thin nickel layer, then a thin copper layer, then another nickel layer.

The "P" nickels of 1999 and the dimes, quarters and halves of 1999-2000 were special coins used for testing the new composition with vending machines. Some got out into the hands of the general public (dimes dated 2000 are valuable). Circulation dimes dated 2001 -2006 all have the "P" mint mark. The 2000P halves were issued in, of all things, desk clocks.

"W" is "Winnepeg" and are usually issued as part of a set (N.I.I.)

Robert · Senior Member

Mintages... I will give the Royal Canadian Mint credit (I guess you'd call it credit) for creating such low mintage collector coins such as the following:

Cents:
2005P "First Day" non-circulating unc: mintage =1,919!
2006P "Last Day" non-circulating unc: mintage =5,000
2006L "First Day" non-circulating unc: mintage =5,000

Nickels:
2005P "First Day" non-circulating unc beaver: mintage =1,951!
2005P "First Day" non-circulating unc "1945-2005": mintage =11,192
2006P "Last Day" non-circulating unc: mintage =5,000
2006L "First Day" non-circulating unc: mintage =5,000

Dimes:
2005P "First Day" non-circulating unc: mintage =1,961!
2006P "Last Day" non-circulating unc: mintage =5,000
2006L "First Day" non-circulating unc: mintage =5,000

Quarters:
2005P "First Day" non-circulating unc: mintage =1,911!!
(ugh... lots of provincial issues etc... too many to list)

Halves:
2005P "First Day" non-circulating unc: mintage =2,445!
(there are others)

Can you imagine what a U.S. commemorative with an issue of less than 2K would be selling for? These Canadian ones are less than $100!

eagames · Expert Member

Thanks Robert and Smed!

That's good info.

From what I see the mintmarked ones are always the steel ones.

Also seems the quality is very nice on all of the cents. They seem to be free of bag marks and the relief seems to keep the design protected from those rub marks you see on US cents like on Abes shoulder.

Dick · Expert Member

Hi everyone! I have been gone, and I see that there has been a lot of info posted! great job by all. (Now I won't have to dig out of my copy, and try to post it, (after proof-reading) , which usually takes much longer than the orininal post). I see info there also that I hadn't seen any where in the Charltons, (2005) which I have. Did it come from the 2008 CDROM? If I get into nickels, later, It would be nice too find some of those UNC's!
Dick

Dick · Expert Member

Robert, you have a lot of nfo posted, that almost has to come from the mint, proper. If this be the case, How can I get the info from the RCMint? I would like to be able to "scan thru the info, to check mintages, values, whether for circul;ation, PL sets, Proof set, etc, "the whole nine yards"!
Thanks for your input.
Dick

Robert · Senior Member

Dick, I mostly used my 2008 Charlton's Canadian Coins (62nd edition). It is priced at $19.95 and it's a healthy 450+ pages thick. Picked up mine at a coin show. I think it's a good reference.

http://www.charltonpress.com/NumismaticsBook.asp?v_ISBN=9780889683280

Dick · Expert Member

Robert, I have the 2008 CDROM. I wamted the book for obvious reasons, (ny vision problem), but got thE CDROM, instead. I am fortunate in that I also have Charltons, 2005, 59th Ed. that another member gave me when we swapped some coins, when I started collecting Canadian cents. It has been a huge help! I am slowly getting used to the CDROM, but it is not easy! I can go fairly close to what I AM LOOKING FOR, NOW, BY COMPARING THE PAGE NUMBERS, as a guide. At any rate, if there is a web site, that will connect me directly to the CAnadiab mint, (like we have here), then I would be very appreciative of the link, or info to contact them.
Thanks for the info.
Dick