Beaver five-cent family
Beaver Five Cents
Beaver Five Cents covers 1937–present within the five cents denomination. Identify the beaver on a rock above the denomination reverse before applying the overlapping official technical standards or annual production rows.
Scope is limited to the verified type or program level. Issue mintages, prices, varieties, and survival estimates are not inferred from this summary.
Major five cents types
Know the boundary before the date
The standard reverse depicts a beaver on a rock above the value. Determine the monarch portrait and date first, then compare shape, colour, magnetic response, and edge. A large V and torch identifies the Victory issue; it is related by denomination but cataloged as a distinct commemorative type.
- Primary identifiers — Reverse: Beaver on a rock above the denomination. Obverse: Reigning monarch portrait.
- Authority and dates — Canada; recorded range 1937–present.
- Evidence boundary — Unknown specifications remain unknown; unverified varieties, mintages, and prices stay outside the public catalog.
The historical scope of Beaver Five Cents
The type followed the 1922–1936 large nickel format. Wartime material pressure produced conspicuous departures, including twelve-sided pieces and the separate 1943–1945 Victory reverse. The Mint's official chronology is therefore best read as a design family with composition and special-design branches.
The catalog places this record in the Five cents branch, records its material scope as nickel, wartime alloys, copper-nickel, and plated-steel generations, and records its finish as circulation. Those fields are supported by the sources listed below; missing issue-level transitions are not filled by inference.
- 1937 · Beaver reverse — G.E. Kruger-Gray's beaver joined the national design modernization.
- 1942 · Wartime substitution — Tombac and a 12-sided form responded to nickel's wartime importance.
- 1943–1945 · Victory coin — Thomas Shingles paired a large V and torch with a Morse-code rim message.
- 1951 · Nickel discovery — Stephen Trenka's refinery reverse marked 200 years since nickel was identified.
- 1967 · Centennial hare — Alex Colville's hopping hare replaced the beaver for the Centennial issue.
- 2000 · Plated-steel standard — The denomination entered its modern lighter plated-steel generation.
Design and identification
The standard reverse depicts a beaver on a rock above the value. Determine the monarch portrait and date first, then compare shape, colour, magnetic response, and edge. A large V and torch identifies the Victory issue; it is related by denomination but cataloged as a distinct commemorative type.
- Beaver Five Cents · 1937–present · G. E. Kruger-Gray — Beaver on a rock above the denomination. Beaver five-cent family.
Finish by checking the edge (plain), composition (nickel, wartime alloys, copper-nickel, and plated-steel generations), and any recorded dimensions or weight; colour or wear alone is not enough for attribution.
Official annual production
This page filters the published 1937–2024 annual rows to the Beaver Five Cents type boundary. Special reverses or parallel issues can be included in denomination-level annual totals; an unsplit total is not represented as design-only production.
Displayed-row sum: 6,618,753,369 · 85 official annual rows
Three anchors that do not depend on price
- Beaver reverse — G.E. Kruger-Gray's beaver joined the national design modernization.
- Wartime substitution — Tombac and a 12-sided form responded to nickel's wartime importance.
- Victory coin — Thomas Shingles paired a large V and torch with a Morse-code rim message.
- Nickel discovery — Stephen Trenka's refinery reverse marked 200 years since nickel was identified.
- Centennial hare — Alex Colville's hopping hare replaced the beaver for the Centennial issue.
- Plated-steel standard — The denomination entered its modern lighter plated-steel generation.
Specifications within this type
1922 – 1942 · Round or 12-sided; see design chronology
- Composition
- 99% nickel
- Weight
- 4.54 g
- Diameter
- 21.21 mm
- Thickness
- 1.7 mm
1942 – 1943 · Round or 12-sided; see design chronology
- Composition
- 88% copper, 12% zinc (tombac)
- Weight
- 4.54 g
- Diameter
- 21.21 mm
- Thickness
- 1.7 mm
1946 – 1951 · Round or 12-sided; see design chronology
- Composition
- 99.9% nickel
- Weight
- 4.54 g
- Diameter
- 21.21 mm
- Thickness
- 1.7 mm
1951 – 1954 · Round or 12-sided; see design chronology
- Composition
- chrome plated steel
- Weight
- 4.54 g
- Diameter
- 21.21 mm
- Thickness
- 1.7 mm
1955 – 1981 · Round or 12-sided; see design chronology
- Composition
- 99.9% nickel
- Weight
- 4.54 g
- Diameter
- 21.21 mm
- Thickness
- 1.7 mm
1982 – 1999 · Round
- Composition
- 75% copper, 25% nickel
- Weight
- 4.6 g
- Diameter
- 21.2 mm
- Thickness
- 1.76 mm
2000 – present · Round
- Composition
- 94.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel plating
- Weight
- 3.95 g
- Diameter
- 21.2 mm
- Thickness
- 1.76 mm
Official annual production catalog
This page filters the published 1937–2024 annual rows to the Beaver Five Cents type boundary. Special reverses or parallel issues can be included in denomination-level annual totals; an unsplit total is not represented as design-only production.
| Year | Design context | Technical standard | Mintage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 4,593,263 |
| 1938 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 3,898,974 |
| 1939 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 5,661,123 |
| 1940 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 13,820,197 |
| 1941 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 8,681,785 |
| 1942 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 10,243,778 |
| 1946 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 6,952,684 |
| 1947 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 17,198,848 |
| 1948 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 1,810,789 |
| 1949 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 13,736,276 |
| 1950 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 11,950,520 |
| 1951 | Nickel-refinery commemorative | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 12,642,641 |
| 1952 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 10,891,148 |
| 1953 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 16,635,552 |
| 1954 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 6,998,662 |
| 1955 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 5,355,028 |
| 1956 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 9,399,854 |
| 1957 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 7,387,703 |
| 1958 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 7,607,521 |
| 1959 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 11,552,523 |
| 1960 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 37,157,433 |
| 1961 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 47,889,051 |
| 1962 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 46,307,305 |
| 1963 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 43,970,320 |
| 1964 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 78,075,068 |
| 1965 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 84,876,018 |
| 1966 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 27,976,648 |
| 1967 | Centennial hare | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 36,876,574 |
| 1968 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 99,253,330 |
| 1969 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 27,830,229 |
| 1970 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 5,726,010 |
| 1971 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 27,312,609 |
| 1972 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 62,417,387 |
| 1973 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 53,507,435 |
| 1974 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 94,704,645 |
| 1975 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 138,882,000 |
| 1976 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 55,140,213 |
| 1977 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 89,120,791 |
| 1978 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 137,079,273 |
| 1979 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 186,295,825 |
| 1980 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 134,878,000 |
| 1981 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.21 mm · 4.54 g | 99,107,900 |
| 1982 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 4.6 g | 105,539,898 |
| 1983 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 4.6 g | 72,596,000 |
| 1984 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 4.6 g | 84,088,000 |
| 1985 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 4.6 g | 126,618,000 |
| 1986 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 4.6 g | 156,104,000 |
| 1987 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 4.6 g | 106,299,000 |
| 1988 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 4.6 g | 75,025,000 |
| 1989 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 4.6 g | 141,435,538 |
| 1990 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 4.6 g | 42,537,000 |
| 1991 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 4.6 g | 10,931,000 |
| 1992 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 4.6 g | 53,732,000 |
| 1993 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 4.6 g | 86,877,000 |
| 1994 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 4.6 g | 99,352,000 |
| 1995 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 4.6 g | 78,780,000 |
| 1996 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 4.6 g | 36,686,000 |
| 1997 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 4.6 g | 27,354,000 |
| 1998 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 4.6 g | 156,873,000 |
| 1999 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 4.6 g | 124,861,000 |
| 2000 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 3.95 g | 108,514,000 |
| 2001 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 3.95 g | 166,686,000 |
| 2002 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 3.95 g | 135,960,000 |
| 2003 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 3.95 g | 101,793,000 |
| 2004 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 3.95 g | 123,925,000 |
| 2005 | Victory 60th-anniversary issues included | 21.2 mm · 3.95 g | 148,082,000 |
| 2006 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 3.95 g | 184,874,000 |
| 2007 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 3.95 g | 221,472,000 |
| 2008 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 3.95 g | 278,530,000 |
| 2009 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 3.95 g | 266,448,000 |
| 2010 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 3.95 g | 126,800,000 |
| 2011 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 3.95 g | 230,328,000 |
| 2012 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 3.95 g | 202,944,000 |
| 2013 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 3.95 g | 78,120,000 |
| 2014 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 3.95 g | 66,364,000 |
| 2015 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 3.95 g | 87,360,000 |
| 2016 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 3.95 g | 267,632,000 |
| 2017 | Canada 150 · Living Traditions | 21.2 mm · 3.95 g | 20,000,000 |
| 2018 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 3.95 g | 87,528,000 |
| 2019 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 3.95 g | 92,736,000 |
| 2020 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 3.95 g | 31,752,000 |
| 2021 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 3.95 g | 68,376,000 |
| 2022 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 3.95 g | 83,328,000 |
| 2023 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 3.95 g | 5,574,000 |
| 2024 | Beaver five-cent family | 21.2 mm · 3.95 g | 46,536,000 |
Collecting paths and checklist
The five-cent series rewards chronological collecting because changes in metal tell a manufacturing story. Surface colour alone is not a safe alloy test, and plated steel can show circulation damage. This catalog does not infer a scarce variety from photographs or attach prices without issue-level evidence.
- One-coin type study — Choose one representative that clearly shows the principal obverse and reverse, then learn the type boundary.
- Design and technical generations — Add a generation only when sources confirm a change in composition, shape, size, edge, or principal design.
- Source-backed date study — Expand into dates or varieties only after issue identity, specifications, and production evidence are verified field by field.
Collector checklist
- Do not clean the coin; cleaning changes surfaces and can obscure evidence.
- Compare date, portrait, design, edge, weight, diameter, and metal response together.
- Have consequential or high-value attributions reviewed by an appropriate specialist or certification service.
- Catalog information is research context, not an appraisal, offer, or investment guarantee.
Data scope
This page publishes reviewed denomination- and major-type-level evidence. Years not published by the Mint remain unknown, zero appears only when the source reports zero, and prices or survivor estimates are not inferred from production.
Sources
- 5 centsRoyal Canadian Mint
Five-cent design and composition chronology, including Victory and nickel-discovery issues.
- A History of the Canadian DollarBank of Canada
Decimal adoption, 1858 coinage, 1870 Dominion coinage, provincial issues, Newfoundland, and mint history.
- Faces of the MonarchRoyal Canadian Mint
Canadian coin obverse portrait chronology through Charles III.