1981 Canada Cent Value
A 1981 Canada Cent is worth roughly its melt value to well into four figures depending on its condition. Certified examples in top grades can run far higher.
1981 Canada Cent value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|
Estimated retail range. Estimates are modeled from mintage rarity and metal content, not auction records. Actual sale prices vary with certification, eye appeal and market timing.
How much is a 1981 Canada Cent worth today?
Pricing for the 1981 Canada Cent depends on grade and current collector demand.
1981 Canada Cent specifications
- Series
- Canada Coinage
- Year
- 1981
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Copper Alloy
- Weight
- 2.747 g
- Diameter
- 19 mm
Why this coin has no mint mark
Philadelphia struck the 1981 Canada Cent, and Philadelphia coins of this period carry no mint mark at all. An empty space at the usual mint mark position (see the series guide) confirms a Philadelphia strike, not a flaw.
What makes the 1981 Canada Cent valuable
The series itself does some of the lifting for the 1981 Canada Cent: Documented Canada coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. Broad, multigenerational demand for the design gives every date, including this one, a deep and liquid market.
Documented examples of the 1981 Canada Cent in our reference database anchor what we know about this issue. Mintage records are incomplete, so collector demand and surviving population drive its market.
1981 Canada Cent inscriptions & design
Obverse
ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA
middle-aged crowned bust of the Queen, facing right
Reverse
1 CENT CANADA
two maple leaves
Measured 1981 Canada Cent specimens
3 physically measured 1981 Canada Cent examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 2.747 g, 19 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 Canada Cent #1 | 2.776 g | 19 mm | - | KM.Canada.59.2 |
| 1981 Canada Cent #2 | 2.702 g | 19 mm | - | KM.Canada.127 |
| 1981 Canada Cent #3 | 2.747 g | 19 mm | - | KM.Canada.127 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.