1931 Canadian Nickel

Quick answers

Is the 1931 Canadian Nickel rare?

No. 5.1 million were made, so circulated examples are worth face value.

How many 1931 Canadian nickels were made?

5,100,830 were struck for circulation.

What is the 1931 Canadian Nickel made of?

Nickel (99.9%). It weighs 4.54 g and measures 21.2 mm.

Is the 1931 Canadian Nickel still legal tender?

Yes. Canadian 5-cent coins are legal tender.

How to recognize it

The 1931 Canadian Nickel is round, 21.2 mm across and nickel (99.9%).

1931 Canadian Nickel by the numbers

In mintage terms the 1931 Canadian Nickel ranks 60th lowest of 161 Canadian nickel dates and varieties from 1858 to 2024. The next scarcer is the 1922 Canadian Nickel (4.76 million); the next more common is the 1907 Canadian Nickel (5.2 million).

For scale, the most common is the 2008 Canadian Nickel with 278.5 million, about 55 times as many. The scarcest is the 1884 Canadian Nickel with 200,000, 26 times fewer than this one.

Compared with the dates around it, the 1931 output was 1.4 times the 1930 figure and 1.6 times the 1932 figure.

Over the 1930s the Mint produced 40.9 million five cent coins across 10 dates and varieties; the 1931 Canadian Nickel accounts for 12% of that.

What to check on your 1931 Canadian Nickel

• Try a magnet. Nickel (99.9%) is magnetic, so a genuine 1931 coin sticks; a silver one would not.
• Never clean it. Rubbing or polishing leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
• 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.

George V large nickel five cents (1922 to 1936)

In 1922 Canada dropped the fiddly silver piece and adopted a large five cent coin in pure nickel, much like the coin its neighbor to the south already used. The choice made sense: Canada was one of the world's great nickel producers, the metal was durable and a coin of 4.54 g on a 21.2 mm round flan was hard to lose. It also gave the denomination the name most Canadians still use: the nickel.

The obverse kept Mackennal's crowned portrait of George V with the full legend that includes DEI GRA. The reverse was new and simple: CANADA above, 5 CENTS in the middle and the date below, with two maple leaves flanking the value. The design stayed in use until 1936. Mintages ran from around two to five million in most years, but output dropped hard in the middle of the decade, with only 200,050 coins dated 1925 and 933,577 dated 1926.

The 1925 is the key date of every Canadian nickel ever struck and the 1926 is the semi key, with a near 6 and far 6 variety to check. The early 1920s dates are also worth a second look in sharp condition. Nickel is hard, so these coins often show long, smooth wear rather than scratches. A clear date matters most, because worn dates can make a common year look like a rare one. Pure nickel coins are attracted to a magnet, which is normal for this period.

Mintage chart

Specifications