In 1925 Canadian coinage was caught between the oversupply caused by the recent World War, and the still lack-luster demand for goods and services caused by the recession of 1921-23. Canada’s economy was improving by the time this cent was struck, but Ottawa’s coin presses were barely working. Only 5-cent pieces and these 1-cent coins were produced in 1925—with both mintages being the smallest of their respective types. I have read, in fact, that the 1925 coins were struck only so visitors to the mint could see coins being produced.
The reverse design of this new small cent seems to me to be uninspired—especially sandwiched as it is between the beautiful large cents of 1858-1920, and the wonderful George VI small cent that debuted in 1937. But I’ve read that in 1919-20 there were concerns about overcrowding, so the maple-leaf wreath of the old cent wasn’t reduced in size and reused on the new coin. “Spare and simple” carried the day.
For a long time I supposed that was also the reason the obverse of these cents seemed so…empty. (See especially the unusually large space between the rim and the truncation of the bust.)
But then finally I read that the obverse coining tool that had been sent from the UK was completely unsatisfactory. There had been no time to wait on a replacement, so a local fix was engineered using a tool originally produced for the smaller 10-cent piece. No wonder George V seems to be swimming in a sea of copper!
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