2012 Canada Elizabeth II, non-magnetic with RCM logo 1 Cent

About the 2012 Canada Elizabeth II, non-magnetic with RCM logo 1 Cent

The obverse carries the 4th portrait of the Queen, the effigy by Canadian artist Susanna Blunt that depicts the monarch without a crown, and beneath it sits the stylised logo of the Royal Canadian Mint. The Mint adopted this small maple leaf emblem as a mark of identity and authenticity across its coinage. The reverse retains the enduring design by G.E. Kruger Gray, showing a twig bearing 2 maple leaves, a motif that had graced the Canadian cent since the reign of George VI and became one of the most familiar images in the nation's pocket change. Collectors value this type chiefly for its place in a transitional period. While these zinc core pieces were being made, the Mint was also producing magnetic cents of copper plated steel, so the 2 compositions circulated side by side and can be told apart with a simple magnet. Assembling both varieties, along with the earlier pieces lacking the Mint logo, has become a popular way to document the technical evolution of the denomination. Because the cent was ultimately withdrawn from production and Canada moved to rounding cash transactions, this type also stands as a tangible reminder of the end of an era. That status gives it lasting appeal to specialists in modern Canadian coinage and to anyone building a complete Elizabeth II series.