Discover the Top 9 Unbelievable Fun Facts About Canadian Pennies You Never Knew!

1. The Evolution of Canadian Pennies

From 'rock dove' status to 'high roller' rarities, Canadian pennies sure know how to change with the times: Over the course of their existence, their composition shifted from bronze in 1876 to 94% steel in 2000 and even sported different designs, with the last minted on May 4, 2012, and a mere three 1936 dot cents currently in existence, valued at over $400,000 each.
Source => cbc.ca

2. Royal Makeover

Believe it or not, the Canadian penny went through a royal makeover in its heyday: it took a sabbatical from fashioning maple leaves to sporting dapper monarchs like King George V and Queen Elizabeth II. But alas, in 2012, the penny fell out of circulation - quite literally - when production costs became too steep. Fear not, penny enthusiasts, for the legacy lives on in a commemorative Legacy of the Penny Series that glams up silver coins with majestic maple leaves and King George V's timeless visage.
Source => en.numista.com

Did you know the first American flag had a Union Jack in the corner and was mistaken for surrender by the British? Discover the hilarious reason behind the creation of the iconic Stars and Stripes!

=> Fun Facts about The-American-Flag

3. Penny Pinching Discontinuation

Oh, Canada! Land of maple syrup, hockey, and penny-pinching – quite literally: The Great White North discontinued its production of pennies in 2012, as each copper-coated fellow cost the government a startling 1.6 cents to produce, rounding cash transactions to the nearest nickel thereafter.
Source => nytimes.com

4. Shiny Penny Protagonists

Oh, Canada! Home of maple syrup, ice hockey, and an ever-changing cast of shiny penny protagonists: The Canadian one-cent coin, fondly dubbed the "penny", flaunts a long history of over 150 years with various changes, from new monarchs gracing its face to mint mark switcheroos, and even a dot on the reverse side – all adding up to millions of these little copper-plated wonders circulating and jingling in the pockets of the Great White North.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

5. The Cost of Saving Pennies

They say a penny saved is a penny earned, but Canada was losing dollars saving pennies: In 2012, the Canadian government discontinued the production of pennies, which had been costing 1.6 cents each to produce, as phasing them out saved taxpayers approximately $11 million a year, with the last penny struck on May 4, 2012, at the Royal Canadian Mint in Winnipeg.
Source => rcinet.ca

6. The Fortune of the Dot Penny

Crikey, it seems like a penny saved, is a fortune earned if it has a tiny polka dot: The elusive 1936 Canadian dot penny, adorned with a minuscule dot beneath the date as a secret signal it was minted in 1937, is worth a staggering $400,000, with only three left in the world to hanker after.
Source => cbc.ca

7. Monarchy's Hairstyles on Coins

From crown to no-crown, these Canadian coins know how to keep up with the monarchy's hairstyles: Canadian pennies have gone through multiple obverse designs since 1858, featuring Queen Victoria's laureate portrait to Queen Elizabeth II's uncrowned effigy, with each representing a different era in Canadian history and making specific editions more valuable to collectors.
Source => saskatooncoinclub.ca

8. Copper-coated Chameleons

They say that change is the only constant in life, and it seems that even Canadian pennies can't escape this fundamental principle of existence: Since 1997, these copper-coated chameleons first switched from a core of mostly copper to zinc, then to steel and nickel in 2001, taking metamorphosis to a whole new "centsational" level.
Source => whaton.uwaterloo.ca

9. Canadian Penny's Peak Mintage

Hear ye, gather 'round coin aficionados, history buffs, and insomniacs alike for a tale featuring the Mighty Canadian Penny – both bountiful and elusive, battling to break records: Behold, in 2006, our copper hero reached its peak mintage at a whopping 1.2 billion coins, while humble beginnings were embraced in 1922, minting a mere 1.2 million of these cent-sational treasures!
Source => en.wikipedia.org