| Cent | |
|---|---|
| |
| 2002 coin | |
| General information | |
| Country |
|
| Value |
$0.01 |
| Years |
1972–2013 |
| Measurements and composition | |
| Mass |
|
| Diameter |
17 mm |
| Thickness |
1.6 mm |
| Composition |
|
| Appearance | |
| Shape |
round |
| Alignment |
medallic |
| Edge |
plain |
| Obverse |
Elizabeth II, monarch title, state title, year |
| Reverse |
Grand Cayman thrush (†Turdus ravidus), value |
| v · d · e | |
The 1 cent coin is a current circulation and former commemorative piece of the Cayman Islands, a British Overseas Territory located in the Caribbean Sea. It has been issued in five types since 1972, all during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II (1926–; r. 1952–). Each was issued by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA) and its precursor, the Cayman Islands Currency Board. Because the overseas territory lacks an official mint of its own, each of the pieces was struck at foreign coining facilities, namely the Royal Mint, Royal Canadian Mint, and Franklin Mint.
The first coin of the denomination was introduced in 1972, the year the Cayman Islands dollar was introduced, and manufactured almost annually until 1986. During its production run, a non-circulating commemorative cent was also issued in 1978 in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the coronation of Elizabeth II. A new circulating type was then struck from 1987 to 1990, followed by a similar coin minted from 1992 to 1996. These pieces were then replaced in 1999 by the current cent, which was most recently struck in 2013.
All five coins are legal tender on the Cayman Islands, each carrying a nominal value of 0.01 dollar. With the exception of the 1978 commemorative, which was minted exclusively for collectors, the pieces continue to circulate regularly in their territory of origin.
Coins[]
First portrait (1972–1986)[]
Normal design (1972–1986)[]
1972 coin
Even though the Cayman Islands was detached from Jamaica on July 4, 1959, it continued to use the Jamaican pound until 1969 and the Jamaican dollar from 1969 to 1972. A separate currency, the Cayman Islands dollar, was then introduced in 1972, after nearly a decade of independent economic growth and stability in the Cayman Islands. The first series of coins for the new currency, consisting of denominations of 1, 5, 10, and 25 cents, was introduced the same year and manufactured until 1986. The cent of this series was struck under commission at the Royal Mint in 1972, 1973, 1977, 1982, and 1986, the Royal Canadian Mint from 1972 to 1977, and the Franklin Mint from 1979 to 1984.
The 1 cent piece is composed of a bronze alloy and measures 2.85 grams in mass, 17 millimeters in diameter, and 1.6 millimeters in thickness. It has medallic alignment and a plain edge, and like most coins, is round in shape. Both of its rims are raised and undecorated.
The obverse was designed by British sculptor Arnold Machin (1911–1999). It features a right-facing likeness of Elizabeth II (1926–; r. 1952–), the current Queen of the United Kingdom, wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara on her head. Printed clockwise along the rim to the left is the state title "CAYMAN ISLANDS", and inscribed in the same direction at the periphery to the right is the caption "ELIZABETH II". The Gregorian date of minting appears below Elizabeth's likeness, curved counterclockwise along the coin's lower rim.
The reverse was designed by Australian coin artist Stuart Devlin (1931–). It includes an illustration of a Grand Cayman thrush (†Turdus ravidus), an extinct bird species once endemic to Grand Cayman, perched in a tree. A large numeral "1" representing the coin's face value is engraved to the right of the bird, partially superimposing the tree. Inscribed in smaller print to the left of the illustration are the "SD" initials of the artist. On coins minted from 1979 to 1980, a small "FM" mark of the Franklin Mint additionally appears at the lower left periphery.
Over 4,026,441 examples of the coin were manufactured, including over 3,955,000 business strikes and over 71,441 proofs. Of the proofs, more than 56,095 were distributed in official sets by the Cayman Islands Currency Board.
| Mintages | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Royal Mint | 2,155,000 |
| 1972 Proof | Royal Canadian Mint | 11,000 |
| 1973 Proof | 9,988 | |
| 1974 Proof | 30,000 | |
| 1975 Proof | 7,175 | |
| 1976 Proof | 3,044 | |
| 1977 | Royal Mint | 1,800,000 |
| 1977 Proof | Royal Canadian Mint | 1,970 |
| 1979 Proof | Franklin Mint | 4,247 |
| 1980 | Unknown | |
| 1980 Proof | 1,215 | |
| 1981 Proof | 865 | |
| 1982 | Royal Mint | Unknown |
| 1982 Proof | Franklin Mint | 589 |
| 1983 Proof | 348 | |
| 1984 Proof | Unknown | |
| 1986 Proof | Royal Mint | 1,000 |
| Total | > 4,026,441 | |
Coronation commemorative coin (1978)[]
Following the death of her father, King George VI (1895–1952; r. 1936–1952), on February 6, 1952, Elizabeth II was proclaimed Queen of the United Kingdom. In accordance with royal tradition, her coronation was officially held on June 2, 1953, over a year after George's passing. In 1978, 25 years after this event, the Cayman Islands introduced a series of non-circulating 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 cent and 1, 2, and 5 dollar coins commemorating her coronation. Each was struck under commission at the Royal Canadian Mint.
The cent is composed of a bronze alloy and measures 2.85 grams in mass, 17 millimeters in diameter, and 1.6 millimeters in thickness. It has medallic alignment and a plain edge, and is round in shape. Both of its rims are raised and undecorated.
Arnold Machin's portrait of Elizabeth II wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara appears in the middle of the obverse. Printed clockwise along the rim to the left is the state title "CAYMAN ISLANDS", and inscribed in the same direction at the periphery to the right is the caption "ELIZABETH II". The text "25th ANNIV.", shortened for "25th anniversary", is engraved on two lines to the left of the queen's likeness, while the inscription "CORONATION 1953–1978" is displayed on two lines to the right. Written counterclockwise at the bottom of the piece is the Gregorian date of minting, "1978".
The reverse is identical to that of the standard Cayman Islands cent. It features an illustration of a Grand Cayman thrush perched in a tree in its center, with a large numeral "1" displayed to the right and the "SD" initials of the artist engraved in small print to the left.
Around 1,303 examples of the coin were produced, each with a proof finish. They were distributed exclusively in proof sets by the Cayman Islands Currency Board.
Second portrait (1987–1996)[]
Around 1982, officials at the Royal Mint decided to replace Machin's coin portrait of Elizabeth with a new likeness of the queen. The mint invited 17 artists to submit portrait models for consideration, and of the 38 proposals received, one submitted by Israeli-British sculptor Raphael David Maklouf (1937–) was selected by the advisory committee. After receiving approval from Elizabeth herself, the portrait began appearing on British coins in 1985. The Cayman Islands adopted the likeness a few years later, first incorporating it onto a new series of 1, 5, 10, and 25 cent pieces in 1987. Each of the coins in this series was struck at the Royal Mint. They were produced annually until their discontinuation in 1990.
In 1992, in an attempt to reduce production costs, the composition and measurements of the four circulation coins was changed. Each of the modified pieces was manufactured again in 1996, and struck under commission at the Royal Mint.
Cents minted from 1987 to 1990 are composed of a bronze alloy and measure 2.85 grams in mass. Later pieces are instead made of copper-plated steel and are slightly lighter, weighing 2.55 grams. Regardless of composition, the coins measure 17 millimeters in diameter and 1.6 millimeters in thickness. They have medallic alignment and plain edges, and are round in shape. The rims of both sides of each piece are raised and undecorated.
A right-facing bust of Elizabeth II wearing the George IV State Diadem, Coronation Earrings, and Coronation Necklace appears in the center of the obverse. Engraved in small print at the bust truncation are the "RDM" initials of the artist. The state title "CAYMAN ISLANDS" is inscribed clockwise along the rim to the left, while the caption "ELIZABETH II" is written in the same direction at the periphery to the right. Printed counterclockwise along the lower rim is the Gregorian date of minting.
The reverse features an illustration of a Grand Cayman thrush perched in a tree in its center, with a large numeral "1" displayed to the right and the "SD" initials of the artist engraved in small print to the left.
The total mintage of both metal varieties is currently unknown. Most examples were struck with a standard finish, but around 635 bronze proofs and an undisclosed amount of uncirculated bronze and copper-plated pieces were also produced. All of the proofs and uncirculated coins were distributed in proof and mint sets by the Cayman Islands Currency Board.
| Years | |
|---|---|
| Year | Mintage |
| Bronze | |
| 1987 | Unknown |
| 1987 Proof | 317 |
| 1988 Proof | 318 |
| 1990 | Unknown |
| Copper-plated steel | |
| 1992 | Unknown |
| 1996 | 8,000,000 |
Third portrait (1999–2013)[]
In 1997, the Royal Mint hosted a design competition for a new coin portrait of Elizabeth II. A proposal submitted by British sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley (1952–) caught the attention of the mint's advisory committee, and was submitted to and approved by Elizabeth II. The new likeness first appeared on British coins in 1998, but did not appear on the coins of the Cayman Islands until a year later, in 1999. The Cayman Islands 1, 5, 10, and 25 cent pieces introduced this year continue to be struck by the Royal Mint. All four were most recently manufactured in 2013.
A right-facing bust of an elderly Elizabeth II wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara appears in the center of the obverse. Written in small print near the bust truncation are the "IRB" initials of the artist. The state title "CAYMAN ISLANDS" is inscribed clockwise along the rim to the left, while the caption "ELIZABETH II" is written in the same direction at the periphery to the right. Printed counterclockwise along the lower rim is the Gregorian date of minting.
The reverse features an illustration of a Grand Cayman thrush perched in a tree in its center, with a large numeral "1" displayed to the right and the "SD" initials of the artist engraved in small print to the left.
From 1999 to 2008, around 46,222,000 examples of the coin were manufactured. Most were minted for circulation, but a small amount dated 1999 were also produced with a special uncirculated finish. All of the uncirculated pieces were distributed in official mint sets by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority.
| Mintages | |
|---|---|
| Year | Mintage |
| 1999 | 8,002,000 |
| 2002 | 10,000,000 |
| 2005 | 16,220,000 |
| 2008 | 12,000,000 |
| 2013 | Unknown |
| Total | > 46,222,000 |
References[]
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Template:Cayman Islands dollar