2005 P Victory Anniversary Canadian Nickel
The 2005 P Victory Anniversary Canadian Nickel is a Canadian nickel struck for circulation with 59.3 million made. Value band: face value. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2005
- Circulation mintage
- 59,269,192
- Value band
- Face value
- Composition
- Plated steel
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 2005 P Victory Anniversary Canadian Nickel worth?
With 59.3 million made, the 2005 P Victory Anniversary 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:
- Full uncirculated luster
- A recognized variety or genuine error
- Coins from a specimen or proof set
For market prices, look at recent sold results for the same coin in the same condition, not asking prices.
Quick answers
- Is the 2005 P Victory Anniversary Canadian Nickel rare?
- No. 59.3 million were made, so circulated examples are worth face value.
- How many 2005 P Victory Anniversary Canadian nickels were made?
- 59,269,192 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 2005 P Victory Anniversary Canadian Nickel made of?
- Plated steel. It weighs 3.95 g and measures 21.2 mm.
- Is the 2005 P Victory Anniversary Canadian Nickel still legal tender?
- Yes. Canadian 5-cent coins are legal tender.
The 2005 nickel in context
In 2005 the Royal Canadian Mint brought back one of its most famous designs to mark sixty years since the end of the Second World War. The Victory reverse, with its torch and V, had last appeared on the wartime nickels of 1943 to 1945. The 2005 coin carries the double date 1945 2005 and was struck alongside the regular beaver nickels of the year. It was a rare case of a wartime design returning to circulation.
The mint produced 59,269,192 Victory nickels in plated steel with the P mark. That is a large number, but still well short of the 148,082,000 regular 2005-P beavers. Many people who remembered the wartime coins, or had parents who did, set one aside. The 2005 Victory is a good bridge between modern collecting and Canada's wartime history and a nice way to introduce someone to the story of the 1943 to 1945 coins. It sits comfortably next to the originals in a collection and shows how much the coin has changed in sixty years. Few modern coins carry so much history.
How to recognize it
The reverse revives Thomas Shingles' wartime design: a flaming torch set over a large V, with CANADA, 5 CENTS and the dates 1945 and 2005. Unlike the originals, the 2005 coin is round rather than 12-sided. The obverse shows Susanna Blunt's uncrowned portrait of Elizabeth II, introduced in 2003, with the P mark. The coin is made of multi-ply plated steel, so it sticks to a magnet. On a sharp coin the flame of the torch and the outline of the V are crisp. The P mark shows it was struck on plated steel. There is no beaver on this coin. The torch is large and bold.
2005 P Victory Anniversary Canadian Nickel by the numbers
In mintage terms the 2005 P Victory Anniversary Canadian Nickel ranks 114th lowest of 161 Canadian nickel dates and varieties from 1858 to 2024. The next scarcer is the 1976 Canadian Nickel (55.1 million); the next more common is the 2003 P New Portrait Canadian Nickel (61.4 million).
For scale, the most common is the 2008 Canadian Nickel with 278.5 million, about 4.7 times as many. The scarcest is the 1884 Canadian Nickel with 200,000, 296 times fewer than this one.
Compared with the dates around it, the 2005 output was 2.1 times fewer than 2004 and 1.4 times the 2006 figure. Other 2005 five cent coins: 2005 P Canadian Nickel (148.1 million).
Over the 2000s the Mint produced 1.83 billion five cent coins across 15 dates and varieties; the 2005 P Victory Anniversary Canadian Nickel accounts for 3.2% of that.
What to check on your 2005 P Victory Anniversary Canadian Nickel
- Try a magnet. Plated steel is magnetic, so a genuine 2005 coin sticks; a silver one would not.
- Confirm the variety: 1945-2005 victory anniversary design. 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 for full luster and no scratches. Modern five cent coins only interest collectors in uncirculated condition or with a recognized variety.
The 2005 Victory nickel is common and usually holds face value in circulated grades. It is worth keeping as a modern commemorative and uncirculated coins are the best for display. Pair it with a 1943, 1944 or 1945 Victory nickel to show the original and the tribute together. Look for coins with clean plating and no scratches across the torch. Store it away from moisture so the plating stays bright. A sharp example is easy to find with a little searching. Avoid scratched pieces.
Plated steel nickels (2000 to 2024)
To cut costs the Royal Canadian Mint moved the nickel to multi-ply plated steel, a steel core with thin layers of copper and nickel plated over it. Apart from a small number of 1999 test coins, coins dated 2000 were the first made this way. They carry a small P under the portrait, which stands for plated. They also stick to a magnet. Coins without the P were still struck alongside them in several years. From 2006 the Royal Canadian Mint's maple leaf logo began to replace the P as the mark on these coins.
Susanna Blunt's uncrowned portrait of Elizabeth II replaced Dora de Pédery-Hunt's in 2003. Several commemoratives broke up the beaver run: the 2002 Golden Jubilee double date, the 2005 return of the wartime Victory torch and the 2017 design for Canada's 150th. When the cent stopped being distributed in 2013, cash totals began to be rounded to the nearest five cents and the nickel became the smallest coin in everyday use. Coins dated 2023 brought the first portrait of Charles III, by Steven Rosati.
Almost every date here is face value. The ones to set aside are the 2000 P, the first steel issue at 2.3 million, the commemorative 2005 Victory and 2017 Canada 150 coins and any 2023 with the new king. For the early years check whether your coin has a P and test it with a magnet, because the plain and P coins are different metals. Charles III faces left, the opposite way from his mother.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 5 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Canadian Mint |
| Year | 2005 |
| Circulation mintage | 59,269,192 |
| Composition | Plated steel |
| Weight | 3.95 g |
| Diameter | 21.2 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Plain |
Other 2005 Canadian nickels
| Coin | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 P Canadian Nickel | 148,082,000 | Face value |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 2005 Victory nickel?
It is a commemorative five cents marking sixty years since the end of the Second World War. It revives the torch and V design used on the wartime nickels of 1943 to 1945 and carries the dates 1945 and 2005.
How is the 2005 Victory different from the 1943 to 1945 coins?
The 2005 coin is round, struck in plated steel and shows Susanna Blunt's portrait of Elizabeth II. The wartime coins have 12 sides and George VI on the obverse. The design idea is the same.
Mintage figures: Nickel (Canadian coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Canadian Mint figures. How we build these pages.