A way better 1943 steel cent! And this Canadian new penny. ?? 1977. It's allot bigger than the regular penny. Barely came out of the roll.
That looks to be a British penny. Canadian pennies say "CANAA" on the reverse and they have a maple leaf.
You will find the same effigy of Elizabeth on all of their territories. Bermuda, Guernsey, Wales, Isle of Man, Jersey and many others. British coins will say Penny and Canada says Cent. 2012 was the last year for the cent for Canada.
That penny is British, and I believe that the reason it says “New Penny” is because they decimalized their currency in the 70s and got rid of coins such as the “shilling” and “bob”. As a result, today there is only the penny, 5, 10, 20, and 50 pence out of the decimal coins.
Those are some nice finds you got today! When I read that you got a Canadian "penny" that was "bigger" and didn't fit right, I was expecting to see a nice broadstrike. Then I saw the coin and was like..that's not Canadian! This is a good opportunity, though, to learn a little history. On many coins that have their political origins in Europe, you will find some familiar inscriptions. On the new penny you found, it is right before the date: D*G*Reg*F*D. A quick search should get you off on the right foot. You will find numerous countries out there that use the British effigy on their coinage. Looking up a bit of their history will reveal a bit of their political structure and relationship to Great Britain (and the "British Empire"). Something interesting may even to look up some of these countries coinage and do some comparisons (even if you can't afford to actually purchase them, you can still research them and learn...which should be done before you buy the coin anyway!) In any case, have fun and enjoy all of your time in the hobby!
