Canadian coins are produced by the Royal Canadian Mint and are denominated in Canadian dollars ($) and cents (¢) . The coins in circulation are 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, and $2. The Canadian coins have medallic orientation, like British or euro coins, and unlike U.S. coins, which have coin orientation. The coins are made of different metals, and their physical specifications have evolved over time. Here is a breakdown of the composition of each coin:
- 1¢: Copper-plated steel or copper-plated zinc
- 5¢: Nickel-plated steel
- 10¢: Nickel-plated steel (previously pure nickel from 1968 to 2000)
- 25¢: Nickel-plated steel
- 50¢: Silver (1968-2003), nickel (since 2003)
- $1: Nickel-plated steel outer ring and a bronze-plated aluminum center (Loonie)
- $2: Bi-metallic coin with an outer ring of nickel-plated aluminum bronze and an inner core of aluminum bronze (Toonie)
The Canadian penny was minted from 1858 to 2012 and was made of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper at first, and then copper-plated steel since 2000.
