Canadian 5-cent coin · 1858 - 1921
The crossed maple boughs
The two crossed maple boughs appeared on all 5-cent coins from 1858 to 1921. These coins were nicknamed "fish scales" for their tiny size; their diameter is only 15.5 mm - smaller than the current dime!
What a coin with this design is made of
Every year of this design falls inside a period the Mint records as silver-bearing, so any circulated example carries silver. How much depends on the date, because the fineness changed within the run.
Across the years the Mint reports for this design, 64,580,058 5-cent coins were struck.
Denomination
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
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Every year of this design
| Year | Composition | Silver | Mintage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 | 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper | 0.0347 ozt .925 | 1,197,780 |
| 1909 | 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper | 0.0347 ozt .925 | 1,890,865 |
| 1910 | 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper | 0.0347 ozt .925 | 5,850,325 |
| 1911 | 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper | 0.0347 ozt .925 | 3,692,350 |
| 1912 | 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper | 0.0347 ozt .925 | 5,863,170 |
| 1913 | 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper | 0.0347 ozt .925 | 5,588,048 |
| 1914 | 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper | 0.0347 ozt .925 | 4,202,179 |
| 1915 | 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper | 0.0347 ozt .925 | 1,172,258 |
| 1916 | 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper | 0.0347 ozt .925 | 2,481,675 |
| 1917 | 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper | 0.0347 ozt .925 | 5,521,373 |
| 1918 | 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper | 0.0347 ozt .925 | 6,052,289 |
| 1919 | 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper | 0.0347 ozt .925 | 7,835,400 |
| 1920 | 80% silver, 20% copper | 0.0300 ozt .800 | 10,649,851 |
| 1921 | 80% silver, 20% copper | 0.0300 ozt .800 | 2,582,495 |