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Methodology

Sources

The primary data source is the Royal Canadian Mint catalog (mint.ca). Each entry is cross-referenced against established numismatic references:

  • Coins and Canada (coinsandcanada.com) -- Comprehensive Canadian coin encyclopedia with mintage figures, varieties, and historical context
  • Saskatoon Coin Club (saskatooncoinclub.ca) -- Detailed denomination-by-denomination reference tables for Canadian circulation coinage
  • Numista (numista.com) -- International numismatic database with community-verified specifications
  • Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian Coins -- The standard print reference for Canadian numismatics, used for verification of mintage figures and variety identification

For pre-Confederation coinage (Province of Canada, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island), additional references include provincial mint records and the Haxby & Willey standard references.

Collection Process

The database represents a systematic catalog of all coinage issued by the Royal Canadian Mint and its predecessors from 1858 to present. The collection process follows these principles:

  1. Completeness: Every denomination and year combination struck for circulation is included, along with bullion programs, numismatic issues, commemoratives, and collector sets.

  2. Verification: Each coin's specifications (weight, diameter, composition, mintage) are verified against at least two independent sources. Where sources disagree, the Royal Canadian Mint's published specifications take precedence.

  3. Mintage figures: Sourced from RCM annual reports, the Charlton Standard Catalogue, and established online references. For early coinage (pre-1900), some figures are estimates based on surviving records.

  4. Categorization: Coins are classified into six categories (circulation, collectible, bullion, subscription, set, roll) based on their intended distribution channel and collector market positioning.

Update Frequency

The database is updated weekly via an automated pipeline:

  • New issues: Added as released by the Royal Canadian Mint, typically within one week of announcement
  • Mintage updates: Annual mintage reports are incorporated when published by the RCM (typically mid-year for the previous year's figures)
  • Corrections: Applied continuously as identified through community reports, reference cross-checking, and automated validation

Quality Assurance

Data integrity is maintained through multiple mechanisms:

  • Automated validation: Scripts check for data consistency, including valid year ranges per denomination, reasonable mintage figures, valid metal/purity combinations, and required field completeness
  • Cross-reference checks: Periodic audits compare database entries against the Charlton Standard Catalogue, Coins and Canada, and the Saskatoon Coin Club reference tables
  • Community corrections: Errors reported via GitHub Issues are verified against primary sources before applying fixes
  • Denomination audits: Each denomination's year range is audited against known production gaps (years where coins were not struck) to ensure no phantom entries exist and no real issues are missing

Known Limitations

  • Mintage estimates: Some pre-1900 mintage figures are estimates based on surviving records. Where exact figures are unavailable, the best available estimate from standard references is used.
  • Composition detail: Exact alloy compositions for some modern commemorative and collectible issues may be incomplete where the RCM has not published full specifications.
  • Varieties: This dataset catalogs coins at the year/denomination level. Die varieties, error coins, and minor variations (e.g., large date vs. small date) are not included as separate entries.
  • Pricing: Market values, melt values, and dealer pricing are intentionally excluded. These change daily and are better served by dedicated pricing services.
  • Images: Coin images are not included in this dataset. The Canadian Coin Heads website provides images for browsing.