Rare Canadian Pennies: The Key Dates and Varieties

1858: the first Canadian cent

Only 421,000 cents were struck in 1858, compared with 9,579,000 in 1859. They were issued by the Province of Canada before Confederation. Being the first year makes it a classic key. Expect wear on most survivors. Check the date carefully, because a worn 1859 can be mistaken for it. A strong magnifier makes the last digit easier to read.

The 25 lowest mintage Canadian cents

1907 H: the scarce Heaton cent

In 1907 cents were struck both in England without a mark and at Heaton in Birmingham with a small H. The plain coin had 2,400,000 made; the 1907 H only 800,000, the lowest of any large cent after 1858. Look closely near the date for the H, because it's tiny and easily worn. Even a worn 1907 H is worth keeping.

1922 to 1925: the small cent keys

After huge mintages around 1920, production fell sharply. Four dates stand out, with 1925 and 1923 the lowest. For comparison, 1920 had 15,483,923 small cents and 1929 had 12,159,840. These dates are scarce in any grade, so even a worn one is a good find.

• 1922: 1,243,635
• 1923: 1,019,002
• 1924: 1,593,195
• 1925: 1,000,622

The 1936 dot cent

Edward VIII abdicated before his Canadian coins were made. The new George VI dies weren't ready in early 1937. So the Mint struck more coins with 1936 dies and added a small raised dot under the date to show they were made in 1937. Only a few dot cents are known, which makes it one of the great rarities of Canadian coinage. Almost any 1936 cent you find will be the ordinary kind. Dots have also been added to normal coins, so a real candidate needs expert authentication.

1947 maple leaf and 1955 no shoulder fold

When India became independent in 1947, the King's title had to drop the Latin abbreviation for Emperor of India. New dies weren't ready, so coins struck in 1948 used 1947 dies with a tiny maple leaf after the date. It's a famous variety, but with 47,855,448 made it's more common than the plain 1947.

The 1955 no shoulder fold is different. On some dies the line of the fold in the gown on the Queen's shoulder is missing. Only a small share of the 1955 mintage shows it. Use a magnifier and compare with another 1955: the fold runs across the shoulder near the edge of the portrait.

Checking your cent before you get excited

• Use a magnifier and good light: the H, the dot, the maple leaf and the shoulder fold are all small
• Read the date carefully, since wear can make a 3 look like an 8 or a 5 look like a 3
• Watch for tooling around the date or a dot that looks too neat; altered coins exist for the famous keys
• Judge the condition honestly: a worn key date is still a key date, but sharp detail and original color count for a lot
• Leave the coin as it is and store it in a holder, not loose in a jar

Frequently asked questions