Quick Coinage Facts
Years Minted: 1902-1910
Total Mintage: 30,321,332
Composition: 95% copper, 4% tin and 1% zinc
Diameter: 25.4 mm
Weight: 5.67 grams
Obverse Design: Wreath
Reverse Design: Bust
Unique Features:
Introduction
Canada produced large size cents from 1858 to 1920 and no Canadian coin collection would be complete without at least one large cent in their collection.
One affordable example is the Edward the VII large cent produced from 1902 to 1910. Designed by G. W. De Saulles, the obverse design features the bust of Edward the VII encircled with the words "EDWARDVS VII DEI GRATIA REX IMPERATOR CANADA". The reverse features a wreath that encircles the words "ONE CENT".
Tale of Mints
Nearly all of the Edward cents were coined at London from 1902 through 1907, though a few were struck by the Heaton Mint in that final year. The Heaton Mint is the only coin to actually carry a mint mark which can be found on the reverse just below the date with the letter "H". Beginning with the coinage of 1908, all Canadian cents were coined at the new mint in Ottawa, Ontario.
General Market Notes
In collector grades of Very Fine (VF) to Extra Fine (XF), almost all issues are affordable to collectors of all budgets.
The key to the series is the 1907-H issue with a mintage of only 800,00 coins. But don't let this scare you, in a grade of VF one can easily pick up an example less than $100.