Canada:
Five Cents, 1953
In 1951, during the Korean War, Canada was faced with a shortage
of nickel, which had traditionally been used in producing the
five-cent piece. To deal with this problem, the Royal Canadian
Mint
reverted to a solution which had been found during the Second
World War. It struck five-cent pieces in steel and plated them
with
chromium.
In 1953 a new five-cent piece bearing the portrait of Queen
Elizabeth II was introduced, its shape and metal composition
remaining the same as the 1952 issue. George Kruger-Gray's design
featuring a beaver, which had been introduced in 1937, continued
to
appear on the reverse. Kruger-Gray's initials KG appear to the
left
of the beaver.
The chromium-plated steel five-cent pieces were struck and issued
until 1955, when once again nickel was used.
The coin featured forms part of the
National Currency Collection, Bank of Canada;
Photography by James Zagon, Ottawa
Return to previous page.