1988 – 1 Cent Canada

The 1988 Canadian 1 cent coin is a business strike coin made primarily of 98% copper, with 0.5% tin and 1.5% zinc, weighing 2.5 grams and having a diameter of 19.1 mm. It features the bust of Queen Elizabeth II wearing a tiara on the obverse, designed by Arnold Machin, and on the reverse, the iconic design of two maple leaves on the same twig created by G. E. Kruger-Gray, a design in use since 1937. The coin has a plain edge and non-magnetic properties, was minted by the Royal Canadian Mint with a mintage of over 482 million coins for circulation. It was struck in a medal alignment, with legends reading “ELIZABETH II D – G – REGINA” and “1 CENT 1988 CANADA.” The coin remained in circulation as part of Canada’s currency system before penny production ceased in the early 2010s due to cost inefficiency.