1903 Canadian Nickel

Quick answers

Is the 1903 Canadian Nickel rare?

Not by mintage. 1 million were made, but it is silver, so even worn examples are worth their metal value rather than face value.

How many 1903 Canadian nickels were made?

1,000,000 were struck for circulation.

What is the 1903 Canadian Nickel made of?

Sterling silver (92.5% silver). It weighs 1.16 g and measures 15.5 mm.

Is the 1903 Canadian Nickel still legal tender?

Yes. Canadian 5-cent coins are legal tender, but a silver one is worth more for its metal than its face value.

How to recognize it

The 1903 Canadian Nickel is round, 15.5 mm across and sterling silver (92.5% silver).

1903 Canadian Nickel by the numbers

By the numbers, the 1903 Canadian Nickel ranks 15th lowest of 161 Canadian nickel dates and varieties from 1858 to 2024. The next scarcer is the 1890 H Canadian Nickel (1 million); the next more common is the 1915 Canadian Nickel (1.17 million).

For scale, the most common is the 2008 Canadian Nickel with 278.5 million, about 279 times as many. The scarcest is the 1884 Canadian Nickel with 200,000, 5 times fewer than this one.

Compared with the dates around it, the 1903 output was 2.2 times fewer than 1902 and 2.4 times fewer than 1904. Other 1903 five cent coins: 1903 H Canadian Nickel (2.64 million).

Over the 1900s the Mint produced 28.3 million five cent coins across 12 dates and varieties; the 1903 Canadian Nickel accounts for 3.5% of that.

What to check on your 1903 Canadian Nickel

• Check the date first: silver Canadian nickels carry dates from 1858 to 1921; this one has 0.0345 troy oz. Silver coins are not magnetic and ring clearly when dropped on a hard surface.
• Never clean it. Rubbing or polishing leaves fine scratches that collectors spot at once and that cut the value of silver dates sharply.
• Look at the high points of the portrait and the design. Wear there sets the grade. The grade in turn drives the value of older five cent coins.

Edward VII silver five cents (1902 to 1910)

Victoria died in January 1901, but coins dated 1901 still carry her portrait. The new king's effigy reached the five cents in 1902. George William de Saulles modeled Edward VII crowned and robed, with the legend EDWARDUS VII DEI GRATIA REX IMPERATOR. The coin itself stayed the same tiny sterling silver piece of about 1.16 g, with 5 CENTS and the date inside a maple wreath under a crown. Demand was strong in a growing country and yearly mintages climbed from around two million toward five million by 1907.

The big change of the reign was where the coins came from. London and Heaton's Birmingham works both struck five cents dated 1902 and 1903, with the Heaton coins marked H. Then in January 1908 the Ottawa branch of the Royal Mint opened and Canada finally made its own coins. From 1908 every five cent piece was struck in Ottawa. In 1909 the maple leaves on the reverse were reworked, which is why collectors separate round leaf and pointed leaf coins for 1909 and 1910.

The lowest mintage of the reign is the 1903 London striking at 1,000,000, followed by 1908 at just over 1.2 million. The H coins of 1902 and 1903 are easy to tell apart from London strikes if the reverse is clear, so check the reverse carefully for the small H. Wear hits the king's crown and the leaf tips first. Many survivors are scratched, holed or cleaned, so an honest, evenly toned coin with clear leaves is worth more attention than a bright one.

Mintage chart

Specifications

Other 1903 Canadian nickels