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Canadian 5-cent coin · 1937 - 1942, 1946 - 1950, 1952 - 1966, 1968 - present

The beaver

The beaver design was created in 1937 by G.E. Kruger-Gray as part of a coin modernization effort.

What a coin with this design is made of

Every 5-cent coin carrying this design falls outside the years the Mint records a silver-bearing composition for. There is no silver in any of them, so there is no melt value to work out. What one of these is worth depends on condition and on the date, and this site does not publish figures for either.

Across the years the Mint reports for this design, 6,569,234,154 5-cent coins were struck.

Denomination

Canadian 5-cent coin

The only Canadian denomination that stopped being silver in 1921 rather than in the 1960s. Everything from 1922 onward is a base metal coin, and the metal changed five times.

What these sell for

Sold listings

Completed sales, newest first, so you are looking at what buyers paid rather than what sellers are asking. Affiliate link: we may earn a commission if you buy, at no cost to you, and it changes nothing on this page.

Every year of this design

YearCompositionSilverMintage
193799% nickelnone4,593,263
193899% nickelnone3,898,974
193999% nickelnone5,661,123
194099% nickelnone13,820,197
194199% nickelnone8,681,785
194299% nickel; or 88% copper, 12% zinc (tombac)none10,243,778
194699.9% nickelnone6,952,684
194799.9% nickelnone17,198,848
194899.9% nickelnone1,810,789
194999.9% nickelnone13,736,276
195099.9% nickelnone11,950,520
1952chrome plated steelnone10,891,148
1953chrome plated steelnone16,635,552
1954chrome plated steelnone6,998,662
195599.9% nickelnone5,355,028
195699.9% nickelnone9,399,854
195799.9% nickelnone7,387,703
195899.9% nickelnone7,607,521
195999.9% nickelnone11,552,523
196099.9% nickelnone37,157,433
196199.9% nickelnone47,889,051
196299.9% nickelnone46,307,305
196399.9% nickelnone43,970,320
196499.9% nickelnone78,075,068
196599.9% nickelnone84,876,018
196699.9% nickelnone27,976,648
196899.9% nickelnone99,253,330
196999.9% nickelnone27,830,229
197099.9% nickelnone5,726,010
197199.9% nickelnone27,312,609
197299.9% nickelnone62,417,387
197399.9% nickelnone53,507,435
197499.9% nickelnone94,704,645
197599.9% nickelnone138,882,000
197699.9% nickelnone55,140,213
197799.9% nickelnone89,120,791
197899.9% nickelnone137,079,273
197999.9% nickelnone186,295,825
198099.9% nickelnone134,878,000
198199.9% nickelnone99,107,900
198275% copper, 25% nickelnone105,539,898
198375% copper, 25% nickelnone72,596,000
198475% copper, 25% nickelnone84,088,000
198575% copper, 25% nickelnone126,618,000
198675% copper, 25% nickelnone156,104,000
198775% copper, 25% nickelnone106,299,000
198875% copper, 25% nickelnone75,025,000
198975% copper, 25% nickelnone141,435,538
199075% copper, 25% nickelnone42,537,000
199175% copper, 25% nickelnone10,931,000
199275% copper, 25% nickelnone53,732,000
199375% copper, 25% nickelnone86,877,000
199475% copper, 25% nickelnone99,352,000
199575% copper, 25% nickelnone78,780,000
199675% copper, 25% nickelnone36,686,000
199775% copper, 25% nickelnone27,354,000
199875% copper, 25% nickelnone156,873,000
199975% copper, 25% nickelnone124,861,000
200094.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel platingnone108,514,000
200194.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel platingnone166,686,000
200294.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel platingnone135,960,000
200394.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel platingnone101,793,000
200494.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel platingnone123,925,000
200594.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel platingnone148,082,000
200694.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel platingnone184,874,000
200794.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel platingnone221,472,000
200894.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel platingnone278,530,000
200994.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel platingnone266,448,000
201094.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel platingnone126,800,000
201194.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel platingnone230,328,000
201294.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel platingnone202,944,000
201394.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel platingnone78,120,000
201494.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel platingnone66,364,000
201594.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel platingnone87,360,000
201694.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel platingnone267,632,000
201794.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel platingnone20,000,000
201894.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel platingnone87,528,000
201994.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel platingnone92,736,000
202094.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel platingnone31,752,000
202194.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel platingnone68,376,000
202294.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel platingnone83,328,000
202394.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel platingnone5,574,000
202494.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel platingnone46,536,000

Other 5 cents reverses

1858 - 1921

The crossed maple boughs

1922 - 1936

The two maple leaves

1942 - 1963

The 12-sided coin

1943 - 1945

The victory coin

1951

The identification of nickel

1967

The centennial 5-cent coin

2005

60th Anniversary Victory Nickel

2017

Canada 150

The design name, its period and the description above are reproduced from the Royal Canadian Mint’s reverse design notes for the 5-cent coin, retrieved 2026-09-04. Compositions and mintages come from the same page. This site publishes no variety, grade or catalogue distinctions, because those are not in the Mint’s record. Methodology.