1 Cent - Elizabeth II (Royal Canadian Mint, Antique finish)

The 1998 Canadian one-cent coin was minted by the Royal Canadian Mint during a transitional period for the country's currency. By the late 1990s, the physical cost of producing the penny began to exceed its face value, leading to ongoing debates about its utility. This specific issue features the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II designed by Dora de Pédery-Hunt, which was used on Canadian coinage from 1990 until 2003. The antique finish versions were often produced for collector sets, offering a matte appearance that contrasts with the standard brilliant circulation strike.

Dora de Pédery-Hunt was a Hungarian-born Canadian sculptor who achieved historic status as the first Canadian to design the effigy of the monarch for Canadian coinage. Her design, which depicts the Queen wearing a diadem, was selected for its elegant and refined aesthetic. While the circulation pennies were struck in copper-plated zinc, the collector-grade antique finishes were manufactured with a specialized process to highlight the relief and detailing of the maple leaf reverse designed by G.E. Kruger Gray, a motif that had remained a staple of Canadian numismatics for decades.