The
Canadian five-cent coin, commonly called a
nickelNickel is a chemical element, with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. It is one of the four ferromagnetic elements at about room temperature, other three being iron, cobalt and gadolinium...
, is a coin worth five
centsIn many national currencies, the cent is a monetary unit that equals 1/100 of the basic monetary unit. The word also refers to the coin which is worth one cent....
or one-twentieth of a
Canadian dollarThe Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. It is divided into 100 cents...
. It was patterned on the corresponding coin in the neighbouring
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The denomination was introduced in 1858 as a small, thin
sterling silverSterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% by weight of silver and 7.5% by weight of other metals, usually copper. The sterling silver standard has a minimum millesimal fineness of 925....
coin colloquially known as a "fish scale"; the present larger
base metalIn chemistry, the term base metal is used informally to refer to a metal that oxidizes or corrodes relatively easily, and reacts variably with diluted hydrochloric acid to form hydrogen. Examples include iron, nickel, lead and zinc. Copper is considered a base metal as it oxidizes relatively...
version was introduced in 1922.
The first Canadian five-cent coins were struck by the
Royal MintThe Royal Mint of the United Kingdom is the body permitted to manufacture, or mint, coins in the United Kingdom. The Mint originated over 1,100 years ago, but has functioned since 1975 as a Trading Fund, operating in much the same way as a government-owned company...
in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
as part of the introductory 1858 coinage of the
Province of CanadaThe Province of Canada or the United Province of Canada was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham in the Report on the Affairs of British North America following the Rebellions of 1837.The Province of...
.
The
Canadian five-cent coin, commonly called a
nickelNickel is a chemical element, with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. It is one of the four ferromagnetic elements at about room temperature, other three being iron, cobalt and gadolinium...
, is a coin worth five
centsIn many national currencies, the cent is a monetary unit that equals 1/100 of the basic monetary unit. The word also refers to the coin which is worth one cent....
or one-twentieth of a
Canadian dollarThe Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. It is divided into 100 cents...
. It was patterned on the corresponding coin in the neighbouring
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The denomination was introduced in 1858 as a small, thin
sterling silverSterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% by weight of silver and 7.5% by weight of other metals, usually copper. The sterling silver standard has a minimum millesimal fineness of 925....
coin colloquially known as a "fish scale"; the present larger
base metalIn chemistry, the term base metal is used informally to refer to a metal that oxidizes or corrodes relatively easily, and reacts variably with diluted hydrochloric acid to form hydrogen. Examples include iron, nickel, lead and zinc. Copper is considered a base metal as it oxidizes relatively...
version was introduced in 1922.
History
The first Canadian five-cent coins were struck by the
Royal MintThe Royal Mint of the United Kingdom is the body permitted to manufacture, or mint, coins in the United Kingdom. The Mint originated over 1,100 years ago, but has functioned since 1975 as a Trading Fund, operating in much the same way as a government-owned company...
in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
as part of the introductory 1858 coinage of the
Province of CanadaThe Province of Canada or the United Province of Canada was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham in the Report on the Affairs of British North America following the Rebellions of 1837.The Province of...
. The coins were the same size and general composition as the corresponding American coins of the time, so the five-cent coin was based on the
half dimeThe half dime, or half disme, was a silver coin, valued at five cents, formerly minted in the United States.The denomination was one of the original coins first authorized in 1792, and production began the following year. These coins were much smaller than dimes in diameter and thickness,...
. Although the American denomination changed to a
much largerThe Shield nickel, minted from 1866 to 1883, was America's first nickel five-cent piece.-Origin:During the Civil War, gold and silver coinage was hoarded in large quantities. Since all coinage of that era except the cent contained precious metals, this resulted in a shortage of small change, which...
copperCopper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29.It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is rather soft and malleable and a freshly-exposed surface has a pinkish or peachy color...
-
nickelNickel is a chemical element, with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. It is one of the four ferromagnetic elements at about room temperature, other three being iron, cobalt and gadolinium...
coin in 1866, the Canadian five-cent coins remained small and silver until 1921.
All Canadian coins (including five-cent coins) were struck in
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at the
Royal MintThe Royal Mint of the United Kingdom is the body permitted to manufacture, or mint, coins in the United Kingdom. The Mint originated over 1,100 years ago, but has functioned since 1975 as a Trading Fund, operating in much the same way as a government-owned company...
(no
mint markA mint mark is an inscription on a coin indicating the mint where the coin was produced.-History:Mint marks were first developed to locate a problem. If a coin was underweight, or overweight, the mint mark would immediately tell where the coin was minted, and the problem could be located and fixed...
) and the
Birmingham MintThe Birmingham Mint, a coining mint, originally known as Heaton's Mint or Ralph Heaton & Sons, in Birmingham, England started producing tokens and coins in 1850 as a private enterprise, separate from, but in cooperation with the Royal Mint. Its factory was situated in Icknield Street , on the edge...
(
H mint mark) until 1908, when the
OttawaOttawa is the capital of Canada and a municipality within the Province of Ontario. Located in the Ottawa Valley in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario, the city lies on the southern banks of the Ottawa River, a major waterway forming the local boundary between the Provinces of Ontario and...
branch of the Royal Mint opened. With the exception of some 1968
dimesIn Canada a dime is a coin worth ten cents. It is the smallest of the currently issued Canadian coins. According to the Royal Canadian Mint, the official national term of the coin is the 10 cent piece, but in practice the term dime is universal...
struck at the
Philadelphia MintThe Philadelphia Mint was created from the need to establish a national identity and the needs of commerce in the United States. This led the Founding Fathers of the United States to make an establishment of a continental national mint a main priority after the ratification of the Constitution of...
, all Canadian coins since 1908 have been minted in Canada.
Due to a rise in the price of silver, Canadian coinage was
debasedDebasement is the practice of lowering the value of currency. It is particularly used in connection with commodity money such as gold or silver coins...
from
sterling silverSterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% by weight of silver and 7.5% by weight of other metals, usually copper. The sterling silver standard has a minimum millesimal fineness of 925....
(925
fineMillesimal fineness is a system of denoting the purity of platinum, gold and silver alloys by parts per thousand of pure metal by mass in the alloy. For example, an alloy containing 75% gold is denoted as "750". Many European countries use the percentage hallmark stamps Millesimal fineness is a...
) to 800 fine in 1920. In 1922, silver was removed entirely from the five-cent coin, replacing it with a coin of roughly the same dimensions and mass as the American nickel. However, unlike the American coin, which was 75%
copperCopper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29.It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is rather soft and malleable and a freshly-exposed surface has a pinkish or peachy color...
and 25%
nickelNickel is a chemical element, with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. It is one of the four ferromagnetic elements at about room temperature, other three being iron, cobalt and gadolinium...
, the Canadian coin was pure nickel, as Canada was the world's largest producer of the metal. This coin has since been known almost universally as the nickel.
The
five-cent coinWork on the coinage tools for the Newfoundland five cent coin began after the one cent coin, so the coin has no legend. The first pattern is derived from the New Brunswick obverse with Newfoundland substituted for New Brunswick. -Specifications:-Mintages:...
of
NewfoundlandThe Dominion of Newfoundland was a British dominion from 1907 to 1949. The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
, on the other hand, remained silver until the end of the Newfoundland coinage in 1947.
The nickel's composition has changed several times, most notably during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the
Korean WarThe Korean War is a war that started between North Korea and South Korea on 25 June 1950 and paused with an armistice signed 27 July, 1953...
when nickel was redirected to the war effort. In 1942 and 1943, the coins were minted in
tombacTombac or Tombak is a brass alloy with high copper content and 5-20% zinc content. Tin, lead or arsenic may be added for colouration...
, a copper-
zincZinc , also known as spelter, is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
alloy; in 1944 and 1945, and again from 1951 to 1954, coins were made of
steelSteel is an alloy consisting mostly of iron, with a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most cost-effective alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
which was plated twice, first with nickel and then
chromiumChromium is a chemical element which has the symbol Cr and atomic number 24, first element in Group 6. It is a steely-gray, lustrous, hard metal that takes a high polish and has a high melting point. It is also odourless, tasteless, and malleable...
. The plating was applied before the
blanksA planchet is a round metal disk that is ready to be struck as a coin. An older word for planchet is flan. They are also referred to as blanks.-History:The preparation of the flan or planchet has varied over the years...
were struck, so the edges of these coins are dull or even
rustRust is a general term for a series of iron oxides, usually red oxides, formed by the reaction of iron and oxygen in the presence of water or air moisture. Several forms of rust are distinguishable visually and by spectroscopy, and form under different circumstances...
ed. The composition was returned to pure nickel after both wars. More recently, in 1981, the same copper-nickel alloy used in the American coin was adopted in the Canadian coin, with the ironic result that the nickel then contained less nickel than any other circulating Canadian coin except the
centIn Canada, a penny is a coin worth one cent or of a dollar. According to the Royal Canadian Mint, the official national term of the coin is the "one-cent piece", but in practice the term penny or cent is universal. Before, a penny referred to a two cent coin. When the two cent coin was...
. In 2000, along with all other circulating Canadian coins, the composition was changed again to nickel-plated steel; this plating does cover the coin's edge.
Starting in 1942, the nickel was made
dodecagonIn geometry, a dodecagon is any polygon with twelve sides and twelve angles.- Regular dodecagon :In a regular dodecagon, all sides have equal length and all angles have measure 150°...
al, presumably to help distinguish the dark-coloured tombac coins from the
centIn Canada, a penny is a coin worth one cent or of a dollar. According to the Royal Canadian Mint, the official national term of the coin is the "one-cent piece", but in practice the term penny or cent is universal. Before, a penny referred to a two cent coin. When the two cent coin was...
. Tombac was removed from the nickel in 1944, but the coins remained twelve-sided until 1962.
1921 five-cent coin
Five-cent coins dated 1921 are among the rarest and most collectible Canadian circulation coins, with approximately 400 specimens known. In May 1921 the government of Canada passed an act authorizing the change to the larger nickel coin, and subsequently the majority of the 1921 mint run was melted down.
The only rarer Canadian circulation coin is the 1921
fifty-cent coinThe fifty-cent piece is the common name of the Canadian coin worth 50 cents. It is sometimes referred to as a "half dollar". The coin's reverse depicts the Coat of Arms of Canada. At the opening ceremonies for the Ottawa branch of the Royal Mint, held on January 2, 1908, Governor General Earl Grey...
, with a population of approximately 75. The 1911
dollar coinThe Voyageur Dollar was a coin of Canada struck for circulation in silver from 1935 to 1966, and as a commemorative in 2003. A nickel version was struck from 1968 to 1987. In 1987, the coin was replaced by the loonie. The coin remains legal tender....
is rarer still, with only three examples known, but it is a
pattern coinA pattern coin is a coin produced for the purpose of evaluating a proposed coin design, but which was not approved for general circulation. They are often off-metal strikes, to proof standard or piedforts...
that was never released for circulation.
Commemorative nickels
Although not strictly a commemorative, the "Victory nickel", struck from 1943 to 1945, was the first non-standard circulating Canadian coin other than commemorative
dollarsThe Voyageur Dollar was a coin of Canada struck for circulation in silver from 1935 to 1966, and as a commemorative in 2003. A nickel version was struck from 1968 to 1987. In 1987, the coin was replaced by the loonie. The coin remains legal tender....
; the reverse features a flaming torch and a large V that stands for both Victory and the coin's
denominationRoman numerals are a numeral system of ancient Rome based on letters of the alphabet, which are combined to signify the sum of their values. The first ten Roman numerals are:...
. The rim denticles were replaced by the phrase "We win when we work willingly" in
Morse CodeMorse code is a type of character encoding that transmits telegraphic information using rhythm. Morse code uses a standardized sequence of short and long elements to represent the letters, numerals, punctuation and special characters of a given message...
. This design was re-used in 2005 to commemorate the 60
th anniversary of
V-E DayVictory in Europe Day was on 8 May 1945, the date when the World War II Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich...
. Almost uniquely in the history of Canadian coinage, the reverse was engraved to scale by
Thomas ShinglesThomas Shingles was the Master Engraver of the Royal Canadian Mint from 1943 until his retirement in 1965; he first began work at the Mint in 1939...
; most coin designs are engraved at a much larger scale and reduced with a
pantographA pantograph is a mechanical linkage connected in a special manner based on parallelograms so that the movement of one specified point is an amplified version of the movement of another point...
.
In 1951, a special commemorative five-cent piece was struck to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the metal's initial discovery. Due to the onset of the
Korean WarThe Korean War is a war that started between North Korea and South Korea on 25 June 1950 and paused with an armistice signed 27 July, 1953...
, production of this commemorative was halted to preserve nickel for the war effort, resulting in a second non-commemorative 1951 "nickel" made of plated steel.
In 1967, all the circulating coins received a special reverse for the
Canadian CentennialThe Canadian Centennial was a year long celebration held in 1967 when Canada celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation. Celebrations occurred throughout the year but culminated on Dominion Day, July 1. 1967 coins were different from previous years' issues, with animals on each...
; the nickel featured a
rabbitRabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world. There are seven different genera in the family classified as rabbits, including the European rabbit , Cottontail rabbit , and the Amami rabbit...
.
| Years | Mass | Diameter/Shape | Composition |
|---|
| 2000–present |
3.95 g |
21.2 mm, round |
94.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel plating |
| 1982–1999 (some production until 2006) |
4.6 g |
21.2 mm, round |
75% copper, 25% nickel |
| 1963–1981 |
4.54 g |
21.21 mm, round |
99.9% nickel |
| 1955–1962 |
4.54 g |
21.21 mm, 12-sided |
99.9% nickel |
| 1951–1954 |
4.54 g |
21.21 mm, 12-sided |
chrome-plated steel |
| 1946–1950 |
4.54 g |
21.21 mm, 12-sided |
99.9% nickel |
| 1944–1945 |
4.54 g |
21.21 mm, 12-sided |
chrome-plated steel |
| 1942–1943 |
4.54 g |
21.21 mm, 12-sided |
88% copper, 12% zinc ("tombac") |
| 1922–1942 |
4.54 g |
21.21 mm, round |
99.9% nickel |
| 1920–1921 |
1.167 g |
14.494 mm, round |
80% silverSilver is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
, 20% copper |
| 1858–1919 |
1.167 g |
14.494 mm, round |
92.5% silver, 7.5% copper |
See also
- Big Nickel
The Big Nickel is a nine-metre replica of a 1951 Canadian nickel, located at the grounds of Dynamic Earth in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. It is listed in the Guinness Book of Records, as the world's largest coin...
- Nickel (U.S. coin)