1932 – 1 Cent Canada

The 1932 Canadian 1 Cent coin, commonly known as the “Small Cent,” was minted by the Royal Canadian Mint with a mintage of approximately 21.3 million. It features a composition of 95.5% copper, 3% tin, and 1.5% zinc, weighs 3.24 grams, and has a diameter of 19.05 mm. The obverse side depicts a crowned bust of King George V facing left, surrounded by the Latin inscription “GEORGIVS V DEI GRATIA : REX ET IND : IMP :”, which translates to “George V, by the grace of God, King and Emperor of India.” The reverse design, created by Fred Lewis, shows two iconic Canadian maple leaves on a stem with the inscription “CANADA ONE CENT 1932” below. The coin has a plain (smooth) edge without rim denticles, reflecting design elements from the period 1920–1936. This small cent design was introduced to economize copper use compared to earlier larger cents. It is not magnetic and is considered a business strike coin.