1915 Canadian Nickel
The 1915 Canadian Nickel is a Canadian nickel struck for circulation with 1.17 million made. Value band: metal value. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 1915
- Circulation mintage
- 1,172,258
- Value band
- Metal value
- Composition
- Sterling silver (92.5% silver)
Original illustration of the coin's shape and metal. Tap to flip. Not a picture of the actual design.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 1915 Canadian Nickel worth?
The 1915 Canadian Nickel is a silver coin with 0.0345 troy ounces of pure silver, so its floor is its metal value: 0.0345 times the day's silver spot price. With 1.17 million made, worn examples trade for about their silver; collectors pay more for sharp, original coins and much more for uncirculated ones with full luster.
What would make yours worth more:
- Sharp detail with original luster
- A recognized variety for the date
- Professional grading for a key date
For market prices, look at recent sold results for the same coin in the same condition, not asking prices.
Quick answers
- Is the 1915 Canadian Nickel rare?
- Not by mintage. 1.17 million were made, but it is silver, so even worn examples are worth their metal value rather than face value.
- How many 1915 Canadian nickels were made?
- 1,172,258 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 1915 Canadian Nickel made of?
- Sterling silver (92.5% silver). It weighs 1.17 g and measures 15.5 mm.
- Is the 1915 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.
The 1915 nickel in context
The 1915 five cents had a mintage of just 1,172,258, the lowest of the George V silver years by a wide margin. The year before had seen 4,202,179 and the year after would see 2,481,675. The First World War had broken out in August 1914 and the early war years brought disruption to all kinds of economic activity, including the coin orders placed with the Ottawa mint. Many young men had enlisted and in that climate a smaller order is not surprising.
The low figure did not last. As wartime industry and wages grew, so did the demand for small change and the totals climbed sharply in 1917 and after. That leaves 1915 as the scarce date of the silver George V group and the coin collectors look for most when building a set of the reign's silver five cents. It is roughly a fifth of the 1912 total and just over a quarter of the 1914 figure, which puts its scarcity into plain numbers. No other silver date of the reign came anywhere near so small a figure, since the next lowest, 1916, was more than twice as large.
How to recognize it
The coin has Mackennal's crowned portrait of George V with the full legend GEORGIUS V DEI GRA: REX ET IND: IMP:. The reverse shows 5 CENTS and the date inside a maple wreath with a crown above. It is struck in sterling silver and weighs about 1.17 g. The 5 in the date is the digit to check closely, because 1913 and 1918 can look similar when worn. On a sharp coin the leaf veins, the crown jewels and the details of the king's robe are all clearly visible. It is the same design struck from 1912 to 1919 in sterling silver throughout.
1915 Canadian Nickel by the numbers
By the numbers, the 1915 Canadian Nickel ranks 16th lowest of 161 Canadian nickel dates and varieties from 1858 to 2024. The next scarcer is the 1903 Canadian Nickel (1 million); the next more common is the 1889 Canadian Nickel (1.2 million).
For scale, the most common is the 2008 Canadian Nickel with 278.5 million, about 238 times as many. The scarcest is the 1884 Canadian Nickel with 200,000, 5.9 times fewer than this one.
Compared with the dates around it, the 1915 output was 3.6 times fewer than 1914 and 2.1 times fewer than 1916.
Over the 1910s the Mint produced 48.3 million five cent coins across 10 dates and varieties; the 1915 Canadian Nickel accounts for 2.4% of that.
What to check on your 1915 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.
The 1915 carries a collector premium in all grades because of its low mintage. Read the last digit carefully under a magnifier before getting excited. Check also for damage, holes or cleaning, all common on small silver coins. A problem free 1915 with clear detail is a satisfying find. If the date is clear and the coin is genuine, it is worth storing in a holder that protects it from further wear. Avoid cleaning, which can never be undone. Natural toning is fine.
George V silver five cents (1911 to 1921)
George V's portrait by Sir Bertram Mackennal arrived in 1911 and started with a famous blunder. The legend left out DEI GRA, the phrase meaning by the grace of God, so the 1911 coins were quickly nicknamed Godless. After public complaints the phrase was restored in 1912 and stayed. The reverse kept the maple wreath and crown around 5 CENTS and the date. The coin was still tiny at about 1.17 g and still struck in Ottawa.
War pushed output up. Mintages climbed from just over a million in 1915 to nearly eleven million in 1920. Silver prices also rose sharply after the war, so from 1920 the fineness was cut from .925 to .800. By then the little coin had plenty of critics, since it was easy to drop and lose. In 1922 Canada replaced it with a much larger coin made of nickel. Most of the 1921 silver five cents were still at the mint when the switch came and were melted down, turning an ordinary mintage into one of the great Canadian rarities.
Check the legend first: no DEI GRA means a 1911. The 1915 is the scarce circulation date of the group with a mintage of 1,172,258, while 1917 to 1920 are the easiest to find. Any 1921 deserves careful study, because genuine pieces are very rare and altered dates exist. As with earlier silver, look at the crown and leaf veins for wear and be wary of coins that shine too brightly, which usually means they were cleaned.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 5 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Canadian Mint |
| Year | 1915 |
| Circulation mintage | 1,172,258 |
| Composition | Sterling silver (92.5% silver) |
| Weight | 1.17 g |
| Diameter | 15.5 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Reeded |
Frequently asked questions
Why is the 1915 five cents scarce?
Only 1,172,258 were struck, far fewer than the years around it. The war had just begun and coin orders were smaller in that period, so fewer coins ever entered circulation.
What should you check on a 1915?
Start with the date, since 1913 and 1918 can look like 1915 when worn. Then check the coin for holes, scratches or cleaning. Clear detail in the crown and leaves adds to its appeal.
Mintage figures: Nickel (Canadian coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Canadian Mint figures. How we build these pages.