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Date Posted:12:14:43 02/22/07 Thu Author Host/IP: blk-224-218-255.eastlink.ca/24.224.218.255
From the land of the Bluenose....had to take a day off work as the insomnia and a touch of the fleu has hit the household. That coupled with cabin fever sure can bring a bouy down.
Well time for a walk through of the five cent pieces circulated in my country.
The first Canadian 5 cent coin was a small one about the size of one's nail on the index finger and made of silver.
The reverse of the coin was virtually the same as on the quarters but in a much smaller size and depicted the crown and wreath motif.
When coins depicting Edward VII started in 1902 the reverse remained the same.
The obverse was still intact for most of George V's reign.
A big change was coming for the 5 cent piece which was so small that many a bouy complained about how easy they were to lose so in 1922 we saw the begining of a new line of designs. The 5 cent piece then became the "nickel' as we call it here with the silver content removed and the abundant essentially "Canadian metal" nickel was used to make the coin.
Of course the size of the coin grew as did the number 5 on the reverse of the coin known affectionately as the "Big 5."
Interesting footnote is that most of the 1921 small silver coins were taken back to the mint and melted down for reuse in the remaining silver coins that were in use.( 10, 25and 50 cent coins...silver dollars started in 1935) Man to find a 1921 5 cent "fish scale" (nick name given to the small 5 cent piece as many a fisherman thought it was a bout the size of a herring scale).
George VI came to the thrown in 1937 and the design like on the back of the quarter took on a distinctly Canadian flare as the beaver was placed on the reverse where it still sits on the log today.
During the great conflict of WWII nickel was in great demand so the coin was made of brass alloy that tarnished quickly and looked like bronze. These were called "tombacs."
To aid the war effort the reverse of the coin was changed to what is known as the victory nickel and was used through 1943-45 with the beaver returning to the rear end of the coin till 1951.
1951 saw the beaver thrown off his log and replaced by a commerative reverse depicting the bicentennial of nickel which at that time Canada was the world's largest producer.
.
later in 1951 and in 1952 nickel was replaced by steel as the alloy was needed for the Korean conflict.
In 1953 Elizabeth II graced the obverse of the nickel in what collectors call the Laureate Bust which lasted till 1964 And the rest they say is history!
A lot of the information on this post came from the Haxby coin book. Will do the 50 cent pieces once I dig up a Vickie one. Time for a hot lemon and some zeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssss!
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