1955 Canadian Nickel
The 1955 Canadian Nickel is a Canadian nickel struck for circulation with 5.36 million made. Value band: face value. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 1955
- Circulation mintage
- 5,355,028
- 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 1955 Canadian Nickel worth?
With 5.36 million made, the 1955 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 1955 Canadian Nickel rare?
- No. 5.36 million were made, so circulated examples are worth face value.
- How many 1955 Canadian nickels were made?
- 5,355,028 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 1955 Canadian Nickel made of?
- Nickel (99.9%). It weighs 4.54 g and measures 21.2 mm, with a 12-sided shape.
- Is the 1955 Canadian Nickel still legal tender?
- Yes. Canadian 5-cent coins are legal tender.
The 1955 nickel in context
Pure nickel came back to the five cents in 1955 after four years of plated steel. The Korean War had ended in 1953 and the pressure on supplies of the metal eased, so the mint could go back to the material it had used since 1922. The mintage for 1955 was 5,355,028, the lowest of the queen's early portrait years. The 12-sided shape stayed.
The low figure is a little surprising, since the years either side saw much bigger totals: 6,998,662 in 1954 and 9,399,854 in 1956. One likely reason is that the large 1953 order had left a good supply in circulation. Whatever the reason, the 1955 is now the date collectors look for among the Gillick portrait nickels. It is also the first pure nickel beaver with Elizabeth II, which makes it a natural type coin. Most were spent and worn in daily use through the 1950s and 1960s, so well preserved examples are much harder to find than worn ones. It is a classic example of a coin that is scarce because of timing rather than any special event. Collectors notice it quickly once they compare the figures.
How to recognize it
The obverse shows Mary Gillick's portrait of the young Elizabeth II wearing a laurel wreath. The reverse keeps the Kruger Gray beaver on a rock with water around it, CANADA above and 5 CENTS below. The coin is 12-sided, struck in pure nickel and weighs 4.54 g. It has the soft gray look of the older nickels rather than the brighter steel of 1951 to 1954. Both metals are magnetic, so a magnet does not separate them; the date is the guide. On a sharp coin the queen's hair and the beaver's fur are both clear. The 12 sides are crisp on a good example.
1955 Canadian Nickel by the numbers
In mintage terms the 1955 Canadian Nickel ranks 63rd lowest of 161 Canadian nickel dates and varieties from 1858 to 2024. The next scarcer is the 1927 Canadian Nickel (5.29 million); the next more common is the 1917 Canadian Nickel (5.52 million).
For scale, the most common is the 2008 Canadian Nickel with 278.5 million, about 52 times as many. The scarcest is the 1884 Canadian Nickel with 200,000, 27 times fewer than this one.
Compared with the dates around it, the 1955 output was 1.3 times fewer than 1954 and 1.8 times fewer than 1956.
Over the 1950s the Mint produced 101.1 million five cent coins across 11 dates and varieties; the 1955 Canadian Nickel accounts for 5.3% of that.
What to check on your 1955 Canadian Nickel
- Try a magnet. Nickel (99.9%) is magnetic, so a genuine 1955 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.
The 1955 is the lowest mintage nickel of its portrait and carries a small premium in better grades. Worn coins are common enough, so look for strong detail and clean surfaces. Check the 12 corners for knocks and nicks. A 1955 is a good coin for a set because it marks the end of the wartime and Korean War metal changes. The lower mintage means fewer survivors in top condition. Store the coin in a holder and resist cleaning, which leaves marks that cannot be removed.
Elizabeth II laureate portrait nickels (1953 to 1964)
Elizabeth II came to the throne in February 1952, but the first Canadian coins with her portrait are dated 1953. Mary Gillick's portrait shows the young queen with a laurel wreath in her hair and a draped gown. Two versions of the portrait were used in 1953, one with a shoulder strap on the gown and one without, which is why collectors look for strap and no strap coins of that year. The beaver stayed on the reverse.
The first two years were still struck on plated steel because of Korean War demand for nickel. Pure nickel returned in 1955 and remained in use for decades. The 12-sided shape lasted until 1962 and in 1963 the coin went back to round. Mintages exploded around 1960 as demand for coins grew with the economy and population. Output went from around 7 million in the late 1950s to over 78 million in 1964.
The 1955 is the low mintage date of the group at 5,355,028 and 1954 is also among the lower ones. Steel coins of 1953 and 1954 often show rust or flaking plating, so a clean piece is the goal. The 1953 strap varieties are worth checking with a magnifier: look at the queen's shoulder. Many early 1960s nickels survive in large numbers, so only well preserved coins draw interest. A magnet sticks to both pure nickel and plated steel coins, so it will not separate them.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 5 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Canadian Mint |
| Year | 1955 |
| Circulation mintage | 5,355,028 |
| Composition | Nickel (99.9%) |
| Weight | 4.54 g |
| Diameter | 21.2 mm |
| Shape | 12-sided |
| Edge | Plain |
Frequently asked questions
Why was the 1955 mintage so low?
The years just before had produced plenty of coins, especially 1953 with over 16 million. With plenty of nickels already in circulation, the mint struck only 5,355,028 dated 1955, the lowest of the early Elizabeth II years.
Is the 1955 nickel made of pure nickel?
Yes. After four years of plated steel from 1951 to 1954, the mint returned to pure nickel in 1955. The metal stayed in use for the five cents until 1981.
Mintage figures: Nickel (Canadian coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Canadian Mint figures. How we build these pages.