1 Cent - Elizabeth II 2nd portrait, light type

The "light type" designation refers to a mid-production modification to the working dies, resulting in shallower relief across the design — a change made to extend die life as the RCM pushed output volumes higher heading into the early 1980s. Within two years, Canada abandoned bronze cents entirely, switching to copper-plated zinc in 1982 to cut material costs as copper prices climbed.