Silver fish scales, 1858 to 1921
The first five cent coins, struck for the Province of Canada in 1858, were thin sterling silver pieces about 15.5 mm across, nicknamed fish scales. The Dominion issued its own from 1870 and kept the small silver coin until 1921, cutting the silver from 92.5% to 80% in 1920. Many Victorian dates were struck at the Heaton mint in Birmingham and carry an H.
Mintages were small and the coins easy to lose, so Victorian dates are scarce in any grade. The 1884, with 200,000 struck, is the lowest of the Victorian and Edwardian years. The 1887 and 1894 had 500,000 each and the 1898 had 580,717. Under Edward VII the 1903 without H is the low date at 1,000,000. For George V, the 1915 is the one to look for at 1,172,258.
Every Canadian 5 cent coin, 1858 to 2024
| Coin | Year | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1858 Canadian Nickel | 1858 | 1,500,000 | Metal value |
| 1870 Canadian Nickel | 1870 | 2,800,000 | Metal value |
| 1871 Canadian Nickel | 1871 | 1,400,000 | Metal value |
| 1872 H Canadian Nickel | 1872 | 2,000,000 | Metal value |
| 1874 H Canadian Nickel | 1874 | 800,000 | Small premium |
| 1875 H Canadian Nickel | 1875 | 1,000,000 | Metal value |
| 1880 H Canadian Nickel | 1880 | 3,000,000 | Metal value |
| 1881 H Canadian Nickel | 1881 | 1,500,000 | Metal value |
| 1882 H Canadian Nickel | 1882 | 1,000,000 | Metal value |
| 1883 H Canadian Nickel | 1883 | 600,000 | Small premium |
| 1884 Canadian Nickel | 1884 | 200,000 | Collector premium |
| 1885 Canadian Nickel | 1885 | 1,000,000 | Metal value |
| 1886 Canadian Nickel | 1886 | 1,700,000 | Metal value |
| 1887 Canadian Nickel | 1887 | 500,000 | Small premium |
| 1888 Canadian Nickel | 1888 | 1,000,000 | Metal value |
| 1889 Canadian Nickel | 1889 | 1,200,000 | Metal value |
| 1890 H Canadian Nickel | 1890 | 1,000,000 | Metal value |
| 1891 Canadian Nickel | 1891 | 1,800,000 | Metal value |
| 1892 Canadian Nickel | 1892 | 860,000 | Small premium |
| 1893 Canadian Nickel | 1893 | 1,700,000 | Metal value |
| 1894 Canadian Nickel | 1894 | 500,000 | Small premium |
| 1896 Canadian Nickel | 1896 | 1,500,000 | Metal value |
| 1897 Canadian Nickel | 1897 | 1,319,283 | Metal value |
| 1898 Canadian Nickel | 1898 | 580,717 | Small premium |
| 1899 Canadian Nickel | 1899 | 3,000,000 | Metal value |
| 1900 Canadian Nickel | 1900 | 1,800,000 | Metal value |
| 1901 Canadian Nickel | 1901 | 2,000,000 | Metal value |
| 1902 Canadian Nickel | 1902 | 2,120,000 | Metal value |
| 1902 H Canadian Nickel | 1902 | 2,200,000 | Metal value |
| 1903 Canadian Nickel | 1903 | 1,000,000 | Metal value |
| 1903 H Canadian Nickel | 1903 | 2,640,000 | Metal value |
| 1904 Canadian Nickel | 1904 | 2,400,000 | Metal value |
| 1905 Canadian Nickel | 1905 | 2,600,000 | Metal value |
| 1906 Canadian Nickel | 1906 | 3,100,000 | Metal value |
| 1907 Canadian Nickel | 1907 | 5,200,000 | Metal value |
| 1908 Canadian Nickel | 1908 | 1,220,524 | Metal value |
| 1909 Canadian Nickel | 1909 | 1,983,725 | Metal value |
| 1910 Canadian Nickel | 1910 | 5,850,325 | Metal value |
| 1911 Canadian Nickel | 1911 | 3,692,350 | Metal value |
| 1912 Canadian Nickel | 1912 | 5,863,170 | Metal value |
| 1913 Canadian Nickel | 1913 | 5,588,048 | Metal value |
| 1914 Canadian Nickel | 1914 | 4,202,179 | Metal value |
| 1915 Canadian Nickel | 1915 | 1,172,258 | Metal value |
| 1916 Canadian Nickel | 1916 | 2,481,675 | Metal value |
| 1917 Canadian Nickel | 1917 | 5,521,373 | Metal value |
| 1918 Canadian Nickel | 1918 | 6,052,289 | Metal value |
| 1919 Canadian Nickel | 1919 | 7,835,400 | Metal value |
| 1920 Canadian Nickel | 1920 | 10,649,851 | Metal value |
| 1921 Canadian Nickel | 1921 | 2,582,495 | Significant rarity |
| 1922 Canadian Nickel | 1922 | 4,763,186 | Face value |
| 1923 Canadian Nickel | 1923 | 2,475,201 | Face value |
| 1924 Canadian Nickel | 1924 | 3,066,658 | Face value |
| 1925 Canadian Nickel | 1925 | 200,050 | Collector premium |
| 1926 Canadian Nickel | 1926 | 933,577 | Small premium |
| 1927 Canadian Nickel | 1927 | 5,285,627 | Face value |
| 1928 Canadian Nickel | 1928 | 4,588,725 | Face value |
| 1929 Canadian Nickel | 1929 | 5,562,262 | Face value |
| 1930 Canadian Nickel | 1930 | 3,685,991 | Face value |
| 1931 Canadian Nickel | 1931 | 5,100,830 | Face value |
| 1932 Canadian Nickel | 1932 | 3,198,566 | Face value |
| 1933 Canadian Nickel | 1933 | 2,597,867 | Face value |
| 1934 Canadian Nickel | 1934 | 3,827,303 | Face value |
| 1935 Canadian Nickel | 1935 | 3,900,000 | Face value |
| 1936 Canadian Nickel | 1936 | 4,400,450 | Face value |
| 1937 Canadian Nickel | 1937 | 4,593,263 | Face value |
| 1938 Canadian Nickel | 1938 | 3,898,974 | Face value |
| 1939 Canadian Nickel | 1939 | 5,661,123 | Face value |
| 1940 Canadian Nickel | 1940 | 13,820,197 | Face value |
| 1941 Canadian Nickel | 1941 | 8,681,785 | Face value |
| 1942 Tombac Canadian Nickel | 1942 | 3,396,234 | Face value |
| 1942 Nickel Canadian Nickel | 1942 | 6,847,544 | Face value |
| 1943 Tombac Canadian Nickel | 1943 | 24,760,256 | Face value |
| 1944 Steel Canadian Nickel | 1944 | 11,532,784 | Face value |
| 1945 Steel Canadian Nickel | 1945 | 18,893,216 | Face value |
| 1946 Nickel Canadian Nickel | 1946 | 6,952,684 | Face value |
| 1947 Canadian Nickel | 1947 | 7,603,724 | Face value |
| 1947 Maple Leaf Canadian Nickel | 1947 | 9,595,124 | Face value |
| 1948 Canadian Nickel | 1948 | 1,810,789 | Face value |
| 1949 Canadian Nickel | 1949 | 13,736,276 | Face value |
| 1950 Canadian Nickel | 1950 | 11,950,520 | Face value |
| 1951 Beaver Canadian Nickel | 1951 | 4,313,410 | Face value |
| 1951 Nickel Bicentennial Canadian Nickel | 1951 | 9,028,507 | Face value |
| 1952 Canadian Nickel | 1952 | 10,891,148 | Face value |
| 1953 Canadian Nickel | 1953 | 16,635,552 | Face value |
| 1954 Canadian Nickel | 1954 | 6,998,662 | Face value |
| 1955 Canadian Nickel | 1955 | 5,355,028 | Face value |
| 1956 Canadian Nickel | 1956 | 9,399,854 | Face value |
| 1957 Canadian Nickel | 1957 | 7,387,703 | Face value |
| 1958 Canadian Nickel | 1958 | 7,607,521 | Face value |
| 1959 Canadian Nickel | 1959 | 11,552,523 | Face value |
| 1960 Canadian Nickel | 1960 | 37,157,433 | Face value |
| 1961 Canadian Nickel | 1961 | 47,889,051 | Face value |
| 1962 Canadian Nickel | 1962 | 46,307,305 | Face value |
| 1963 Canadian Nickel | 1963 | 43,970,320 | Face value |
| 1964 Canadian Nickel | 1964 | 78,075,068 | Face value |
| 1965 Canadian Nickel | 1965 | 84,876,018 | Face value |
| 1966 Canadian Nickel | 1966 | 27,976,648 | Face value |
| 1967 Canadian Nickel | 1967 | 36,876,574 | Face value |
| 1968 Canadian Nickel | 1968 | 99,253,330 | Face value |
| 1969 Canadian Nickel | 1969 | 27,830,229 | Face value |
| 1970 Canadian Nickel | 1970 | 5,726,010 | Face value |
| 1971 Canadian Nickel | 1971 | 27,312,609 | Face value |
| 1972 Canadian Nickel | 1972 | 62,417,387 | Face value |
| 1973 Canadian Nickel | 1973 | 53,507,435 | Face value |
| 1974 Canadian Nickel | 1974 | 94,704,645 | Face value |
| 1975 Canadian Nickel | 1975 | 138,882,000 | Face value |
| 1976 Canadian Nickel | 1976 | 55,140,213 | Face value |
| 1977 Canadian Nickel | 1977 | 89,120,791 | Face value |
| 1978 Canadian Nickel | 1978 | 137,079,273 | Face value |
| 1979 Canadian Nickel | 1979 | 186,295,825 | Face value |
| 1980 Canadian Nickel | 1980 | 134,878,000 | Face value |
| 1981 Canadian Nickel | 1981 | 99,107,900 | Face value |
| 1982 Canadian Nickel | 1982 | 64,924,400 | Face value |
| 1983 Canadian Nickel | 1983 | 72,596,000 | Face value |
| 1984 Canadian Nickel | 1984 | 84,088,000 | Face value |
| 1985 Canadian Nickel | 1985 | 126,618,000 | Face value |
| 1986 Canadian Nickel | 1986 | 156,104,000 | Face value |
| 1987 Canadian Nickel | 1987 | 106,299,000 | Face value |
| 1988 Canadian Nickel | 1988 | 75,025,000 | Face value |
| 1989 Canadian Nickel | 1989 | 141,435,538 | Face value |
| 1990 Canadian Nickel | 1990 | 42,537,000 | Face value |
| 1991 Canadian Nickel | 1991 | 10,931,000 | Face value |
| 1992 Canadian Nickel | 1992 | 53,732,000 | Face value |
| 1993 Canadian Nickel | 1993 | 86,877,000 | Face value |
| 1994 Canadian Nickel | 1994 | 99,352,000 | Face value |
| 1995 Canadian Nickel | 1995 | 78,528,000 | Face value |
| 1996 Canadian Nickel | 1996 | 36,686,000 | Face value |
| 1997 Canadian Nickel | 1997 | 27,354,000 | Face value |
| 1998 Canadian Nickel | 1998 | 156,873,000 | Face value |
| 1999 Canadian Nickel | 1999 | 124,861,000 | Face value |
| 2000 P Canadian Nickel | 2000 | 2,300,000 | Face value |
| 2000 Canadian Nickel | 2000 | 108,514,000 | Face value |
| 2001 Canadian Nickel | 2001 | 30,035,000 | Face value |
| 2001 P Canadian Nickel | 2001 | 136,650,000 | Face value |
| 2002 P Canadian Nickel | 2002 | 135,960,000 | Face value |
| 2003 P Old Portrait Canadian Nickel | 2003 | 31,388,921 | Face value |
| 2003 P New Portrait Canadian Nickel | 2003 | 61,392,180 | Face value |
| 2004 P Canadian Nickel | 2004 | 123,925,000 | Face value |
| 2005 P Victory Anniversary Canadian Nickel | 2005 | 59,269,192 | Face value |
| 2005 P Canadian Nickel | 2005 | 148,082,000 | Face value |
| 2006 Cupronickel Canadian Nickel | 2006 | 43,008,000 | Face value |
| 2006 P Canadian Nickel | 2006 | 184,874,000 | Face value |
| 2007 Canadian Nickel | 2007 | 221,472,000 | Face value |
| 2008 Canadian Nickel | 2008 | 278,530,000 | Face value |
| 2009 Canadian Nickel | 2009 | 266,448,000 | Face value |
| 2010 Canadian Nickel | 2010 | 126,800,000 | Face value |
| 2011 Canadian Nickel | 2011 | 230,328,000 | Face value |
| 2012 Canadian Nickel | 2012 | 202,944,000 | Face value |
| 2013 Canadian Nickel | 2013 | 78,120,000 | Face value |
| 2014 Canadian Nickel | 2014 | 66,364,000 | Face value |
| 2015 Canadian Nickel | 2015 | 87,360,000 | Face value |
| 2016 Canadian Nickel | 2016 | 140,952,000 | Face value |
| 2017 150th Anniversary Canadian Nickel | 2017 | 20,000,000 | Face value |
| 2017 Canadian Nickel | 2017 | 126,680,000 | Face value |
| 2018 Canadian Nickel | 2018 | 87,528,000 | Face value |
| 2019 Canadian Nickel | 2019 | 92,736,000 | Face value |
| 2020 Canadian Nickel | 2020 | 31,752,000 | Face value |
| 2021 Canadian Nickel | 2021 | 68,376,000 | Face value |
| 2022 Canadian Nickel | 2022 | 83,328,000 | Face value |
| 2023 Canadian Nickel | 2023 | 28,422,000 | Face value |
| 2024 Canadian Nickel | 2024 | 61,824,000 | Face value |
Dated 1921 and earlier: silver. Where two varieties share one figure, the mintage covers both.
The 1921: prince of Canadian coins
The Mint struck 2,582,495 silver five cent pieces dated 1921. Then Canada decided to replace the fish scale with a larger nickel coin in 1922 and nearly all of the 1921 coins were melted before they were released. Only about 460 are now known. That makes it the great rarity of the series and it is often called the prince of Canadian coins, next to the 1921 50 cents, the king. It is a significant rarity and fakes made by altering other dates exist, so any example needs expert authentication.
Pure nickel and the 1925 key
The new coin of 1922 was pure nickel, 21.2 mm across and 4.54 g, with two maple leaves on the reverse. Most dates ran into the millions. The 1925 had just 200,050 made, the lowest of the George V and George VI years. It is the key to any nickel collection. The 1926 is the next hardest at 933,577. It comes with the 6 either near or far from the maple leaf. The far 6 is the scarcer of the two.
Wartime tombac and steel
George VI's coins of 1937 brought G. E. Kruger Gray's beaver on a rock. The Second World War soon changed the metal. Nickel was needed for the war effort, so in 1942 the Mint switched partway through the year to tombac, a brass of copper and zinc. The coin was given 12 sides so it wouldn't be mistaken for a cent. The 1942 comes as a round nickel coin (6,847,544) and a 12-sided tombac one (3,396,234).
In 1943 a Victory design replaced the beaver: a V with a flaming torch and the message WE WIN WHEN WE WORK WILLINGLY around the rim in Morse code. That design ran on tombac in 1943 and on plated steel in 1944 and 1945. Nickel and the beaver returned in 1946. The 12-sided shape stayed until 1962.
The beaver years and modern nickels
The 1947 maple leaf (9,595,124) has a small leaf after the date, struck in 1948 while new dies without the IND IMP title were prepared. The 1948 itself is a George VI key at 1,810,789. In 1951 a special design marked 200 years since nickel was first isolated, while the regular beaver coins of 1951 to 1954 were struck in plated steel because nickel was again in short supply. The 1967 centennial coin shows a hopping rabbit.
From 1982 the coin was cupronickel. Plated steel began in 2000 and carried a small P under the portrait until 2006, while some coins of those years were still cupronickel. The modern lows are the 1970 (5,726,010), the 1991 (10,931,000) and the 2000 P (2,300,000).
Checking a Canadian nickel
Read the date, then check size and shape. A tiny thin coin is silver. A 12-sided coin dates from 1942 to 1962. A magnet helps too: pure nickel and plated steel stick, while tombac, silver and the cupronickel coins of 1982 to 1999 do not. Silver coins carry a collector premium even when worn.
Frequently asked questions
Which Canadian nickels are silver?
Only the small five cent coins of 1858 to 1921, often called fish scales. They were sterling silver until 1919 and 80% silver in 1920 and 1921. Every five cent coin from 1922 onward is base metal.
What is the rarest Canadian nickel?
The 1921 silver five cents. Of 2,582,495 struck, nearly all were melted and only about 460 are known. Among the larger nickel coins, the 1925 with 200,050 made is the key date.
Why are some Canadian nickels 12-sided?
The shape came in with the wartime tombac coins of 1942 so the brass-colored coin wouldn't be confused with a cent. It stayed in use until 1962, when the round shape returned.
What does the Morse code on the 1943 nickel say?
WE WIN WHEN WE WORK WILLINGLY. The message runs around the rim of the 1943 to 1945 Victory nickels, which show a V and a flaming torch.
When did the beaver first appear on the nickel?
In 1937, on the first coins of George VI. The beaver was set aside for the wartime Victory design from 1943 to 1945 and for a few commemoratives but has otherwise been the standard reverse ever since.
Mintage figures from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint, Royal Canadian Mint and Royal Australian Mint figures. Sources.