1951 Nickel Bicentennial Canadian Nickel
The 1951 Nickel Bicentennial Canadian Nickel is a Canadian nickel struck for circulation with 9.03 million made. Value band: face value. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 1951
- Circulation mintage
- 9,028,507
- Value band
- Face value
- Composition
- Nickel (99.9%)
Original illustration of the coin's shape and metal. Tap to flip. Not a picture of the actual design.
Face value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 1951 Nickel Bicentennial Canadian Nickel worth?
With 9.03 million made, the 1951 Nickel Bicentennial Canadian Nickel is common and worth face value in circulated condition. Only uncirculated coins with full luster, recognized varieties and genuine errors interest collectors.
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 1951 Nickel Bicentennial Canadian Nickel rare?
- No. 9.03 million were made, so circulated examples are worth face value.
- How many 1951 Nickel Bicentennial Canadian nickels were made?
- 9,028,507 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 1951 Nickel Bicentennial Canadian Nickel made of?
- Nickel (99.9%). It weighs 4.54 g and measures 21.2 mm, with a 12-sided shape.
- Is the 1951 Nickel Bicentennial Canadian Nickel still legal tender?
- Yes. Canadian 5-cent coins are legal tender.
The 1951 nickel in context
In 1951 Canada issued its first commemorative five cents. The occasion was the two hundredth anniversary of nickel itself: in 1751 the Swedish chemist Axel Fredrik Cronstedt first isolated the metal, which he later named. Canada was by then the world's leading producer of nickel, so the anniversary had real national meaning. The coin swapped the beaver for a picture of a nickel refinery. Much of the world's supply came from the Sudbury area of Ontario.
The mint struck 9,028,507 refinery coins, more than double the regular 1951 beaver. They were made in pure nickel, a fitting choice for the occasion even though the regular coins that year had moved to steel. The design was by Stephen Trenka. The refinery coin was a one year issue and the beaver returned in 1952, but the idea of a special design on a circulating nickel would come back in 1967, 2005 and 2017. People saved a good number at the time, so the 1951 is easy to find, though fully sharp examples need some looking. It remains a favorite of type collectors.
How to recognize it
Stephen Trenka's reverse shows a nickel refinery, with CANADA and 5 CENTS around it. It is a very different image from the beaver and stands out at once in a handful of change. The obverse is George VI by Paget with the shorter legend of 1948 onward. It has 12 sides and is struck in pure nickel at 4.54 g. Because it is pure nickel it sticks to a magnet, just as the steel beaver of the same year does. The fine lines of the refinery buildings are the first details to fade with wear. The 12 sides are the same as on the regular coins of the period.
1951 Nickel Bicentennial Canadian Nickel by the numbers
By the numbers, the 1951 Nickel Bicentennial Canadian Nickel ranks 80th lowest of 161 Canadian nickel dates and varieties from 1858 to 2024. The next scarcer is the 1941 Canadian Nickel (8.68 million); the next more common is the 1956 Canadian Nickel (9.4 million).
For scale, the most common is the 2008 Canadian Nickel with 278.5 million, about 31 times as many. The scarcest is the 1884 Canadian Nickel with 200,000, 45 times fewer than this one.
Compared with the dates around it, the 1951 output was 1.3 times fewer than 1950 and 1.2 times fewer than 1952. Other 1951 five cent coins: 1951 Beaver Canadian Nickel (4.31 million).
Over the 1950s the Mint produced 101.1 million five cent coins across 11 dates and varieties; the 1951 Nickel Bicentennial Canadian Nickel accounts for 8.9% of that.
What to check on your 1951 Nickel Bicentennial Canadian Nickel
- Try a magnet. Nickel (99.9%) is magnetic, so a genuine 1951 coin sticks; a silver one would not.
- Confirm the variety: refinery design for the 200th anniversary of nickel. Use a magnifier and compare with a reference picture before you assume you have the scarcer one.
- 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.
The 1951 refinery nickel is common, but it is popular as Canada's first commemorative five cents. Look for coins with crisp detail in the buildings and clean surfaces. Many were saved as souvenirs and have been handled, so check for fingerprints and spots. Pair it with the 1951 steel beaver to show both coins issued that year. Neither is scarce in worn grades, so condition is everything. Avoid coins with dark spots, which are common on nickel stored in damp places. Even gray toning is normal.
Postwar George VI nickels (1946 to 1952)
With the war over the beaver returned and so did nickel. From 1946 the coin was struck in pure nickel again but kept the 12-sided shape introduced during the war. Indian independence in 1947 meant George VI was no longer Emperor of India, so the IND IMP in the legend had to go. New dies were not ready in time, so the mint struck 1947 dated coins with a tiny maple leaf after the date during 1948 as a stopgap. From 1948 onward the legend reads simply that George VI is king by the grace of God.
1951 brought Canada's first commemorative five cents. Stephen Trenka designed a nickel refinery to mark 200 years since the Swedish chemist Axel Fredrik Cronstedt first isolated the metal in 1751. That piece was struck in pure nickel, but the Korean War soon put nickel back on the strategic list. The regular beaver coins of 1951 and 1952 were struck on plated steel, a change that lasted until 1954.
The 1948 is the scarce date of this group at 1,810,789. The 1947 maple leaf coin is popular and easy to spot once you look for the leaf after the date. The 1951 refinery design stands out at a glance and is common. For the steel coins check for rust spots and peeling plating. On all of them the beaver's back and the water lines show wear first, while the edges of a 12-sided coin should be crisp.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 5 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Canadian Mint |
| Year | 1951 |
| Circulation mintage | 9,028,507 |
| Composition | Nickel (99.9%) |
| Weight | 4.54 g |
| Diameter | 21.2 mm |
| Shape | 12-sided |
| Edge | Plain |
Other 1951 Canadian nickels
| Coin | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 Beaver Canadian Nickel | 4,313,410 | Face value |
Frequently asked questions
What does the 1951 nickel commemorate?
It marks two hundred years since the Swedish chemist Axel Fredrik Cronstedt first isolated nickel in 1751. Canada was the world's leading nickel producer, so the anniversary was an obvious choice for a special coin.
Are there two different 1951 nickels?
Yes. The refinery coin was struck in pure nickel to mark the anniversary, while the regular beaver of 1951 was struck in plated steel. Both are 12-sided and both are dated 1951.
Mintage figures: Nickel (Canadian coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Canadian Mint figures. How we build these pages.