Canadian coinage since 1937

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Brass trial strikes from the Paris Mint.

I am grateful to Canadian numismatist Henry Nienhuis, who explains:

"With the abdication of Edward in Favour of George VI, the Royal Mint scrambled to get the new tools done for the entire Commonwealth, with Britain garnering the immediate attention. Some sample testing was farmed out. The early patterns/trial strikes were farmed out. Canada's tools went to the Paris mint. There they struck trial strikes for the new Canadian coins on thicker brass planchets, before the tools were sent to the Canadian Mint. The actual test planchets were apparently left to the contracted mint: Paris, in our case. There are only a handful of these pattern/trial strikes that were made in all denominations (below $1)."

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Initial artwork the 5 cents design.

As usual, a lot of work went into producing these designs before they were fully developed.

Some of the original ideas for the designs were rather surprising. Click on the link below to view them:

Prototype Sketches for Canada's Coins of the 1930s

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Reverse design of the commemorative dollar of 1939.

In 1939 Canada issued a circulating commemorative dollar.

It was in honour of the visit to Ottawa of King George VI and his wife, Queen Elizabeth.

Emanuel Hahn designed the reverse.


It depicts Canada's Parliament Buildings, with the emphasis on the Peace Tower.

The Latin legend 'FIDE SVORVM REGNAT' translates as 'He reigns by the faith of his people'.

Unusually, the numeral '1' precedes the word 'DOLLAR' on this coin.

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5 cents, tombac, 1942.

The UK declared war on Nazi Germany on September 3 1939. Canada followed suit on September 10 1939. The hardships of the Second World War meant that some metals had to be preserved for war purposes only. Nickel was an important metal, so in 1942 Canada began issuing its 5 cent coins in tombac (a type of brass).

The coins kept the beaver design but no longer had denticles around the rim on the obverse and reverse. These coins are 12-sided, but their edges are rather rounded compared to those of other such coins. This shape and the brass colour helped to distinguish the coin from the 1 cent coin. Its appearance was also inspired by that of the UK brass 12-sided threepence.

According to Canadian numismatist Henry Nienhuis:

The round to 12-sided transition occurred with the initial move to the war-time tombac alloy. It was felt that the copper/brass colour could be mistaken for a 1-cent coin, so making it 12-sided was meant as a safety feature. Of course, copper became a restricted metal and so the 5 cent piece transitioned to chrome-plated steel, but keeping the dodecagonal shape. That shape continued into 1955, when it moved back to be round after the Korean War. Since the world supply of nickel was going to be more stable, it was felt that the safety measure was no longer necessary.

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Victory 5 cents of 1943.

In 1943 Canada produced a new design for the 5 cents. It was in effect war propaganda, intended to promote the war effort. To my knowledge, Canada was the only Commonwealth or Allied country to produce a propaganda coin during the Second World War. A tombac version of the coin was issued in 1943 and 1944.

Robert Edmunds, the Chief of the Coining and Medal Division, had the idea of using a victory "V" sign for the new design, in conjunction with a flaming torch. The 'V' sign had been made popular by Winston Churchill.

Thomas Shingles, who became Chief Engraver of the Royal Canadian Mint in 1943, was employed to create a Victory design. The 'V' also cleverly doubled as the denomination! A message inscribed in Morse code on the perimeter of the reverse reads: "We win when we work willingly."

See also:

Canada Victory 5c piece: alternative sketches

Denominational Roman numerals on modern coins

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Canada, 5 cents, 1944.

In 1944 and 1945, the metal content was changed to chromium-plated steel.

However, tombac versions dated 1944 were still issued in the early months of 1944.

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5 cents coin, 1946.

After the war, 5 cents coins were once more minted in nickel.

 The 'V' sign design was dropped and the beaver returned to the reverse of the coin.

However, the 12-sided shape remained.

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1 cent coin of 1948, dated 1947.

A special maple leaf mark appears after the year.

In August 1947 India was granted independence from the UK. This meant that King George VI was no longer Emperor of India. Accordingly, the words 'ET IND. IMP.' were dropped from his title on the obverse of the coinage from 1948 onward.

However, because Indian independence occurred late in the year and the Royal Canadian Mint was already frantically busy and overstretched, there was no time to acquire new punches and matrices for the first Canadian coins of 1948. It was therefore decided to mint the first coins of 1948 with the outmoded obverse of 1947 and still dated 1947. To distinguish these coins as having been minted in 1948, a tiny maple leaf was placed after the year on the reverse of all denominations of the circulation coins. A special punch was used for this purpose, and that punch is now housed in Canada's National Currency Collection.

The Canadians did not acquire the new matrices and punches from the Royal Mint (London) until late in 1948. Coins were then minted with the correct year and new obverse.

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Canada, 5 cents, 1948.

The new obverse of Canada's coins from 1948 onward, as seen on a 5 cents coin.

King George VI was no longer described as Emperor of India.

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Canada, $1, 1949.  Accession of Newfoundland to Canada.

Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions

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After a referendum in Newfoundland in 1948, a small majority voted in favour of confederation with Canada.

Newfoundland joined Canada at the end of March 1949.


Canada issued a commemorative circulating silver dollar to commemorate the occasion.

The design was by Thomas Shingles, whose initials appear on the coin.


The design depicts The Matthew, the ship that historians believe John Cabot was sailing when he discovered Newfoundland.

The Latin inscription 'FLOREAT TERRA NOVA' translates as 'May the New Found Land flourish'.

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Canada, 5 cents, 1951.

200th anniversary of the discovery of nickel.

In 1951 Canada issued a circulating commemorative 5 cents coin.

It commemorated the 200th anniversary of the discovery of nickel.


Just as in the USA, the Canadians call their 5 cents coin a nickel.

This made it the perfect coin for such a commemorative.

Also, Canada was a major nickel producer with a hugely profitable nickel industry.


Stephen Trenka was a Hungarian artist who emigrated to Canada.

He produced the design that showed a nickel refinery.


This was Canada's second commemorative 5 cents within a decade.

Most countries used high denominations for commemoratives.

Since then, Canada has often used small denominations for commemoratives.

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Portrait of Elizabeth II on a 50 cents coin of 1953.

King George VI died in 1952. He was succeeded by his daughter Elizabeth.

Coins bearing her portrait were issued in Canada in 1953.


Canada used Englishwoman Mary Gillick's portrait of the Queen.

That portrait was also used in the UK.

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Canada adopted a revised coat of arms in 1957.

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The coat of arms on the 50 cents was amended in 1959.

Here you see it on a 50 cents coin dated 1964.

Thomas Shingles modelled the new design.

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The previous reverse design of the 50 cents coin.

And the design from 1959 onward.