10 Cents - Elizabeth II 2nd portrait

Canada's switch to pure nickel coinage in 1968 was driven primarily by the rising commodity value of silver — the silver dimes that preceded this issue had been systematically pulled from circulation and melted by hoarders once their metal content exceeded face value. The nickel composition solved that problem but introduced another: early strikes in the series were notoriously prone to poor surface quality, and the Royal Canadian Mint spent several years refining its striking pressure and planchet preparation for the harder metal.

The KM#77.1 designation covers a twenty-year production run with minor die variations documented between the Schön subtype references.