- Country:Canada
- Collection:Silver Commemorative 5cents
- Metal:Silver
- Year:2015
- Denomination:5 Cents
- Finish:Proof
- Weight (oz):1.023
- Purity:0.9999
- Mintage:6690
- Product type:Coin
On January 2, 1908, the opening of the Ottawa branch of the Royal Mint marked the dawn of a new era. Although the tooling continued to be crafted by Royal Mint engravers in London, coins were now being produced in Canada, for Canada, at the Sussex Drive location in Ottawa, Ont.
While it was not yet made with nickel-nor did it featurethe famed beaver-the crossed maple bough was the first of the 5-cent designs to be produced in the very early days of the Royal Canadian Mint. This stunning recreation of the coin design from 1911 to 1921 offers a unique look back at the history of Canada's nickel coin.
Throughout its history, each of the nickel's transformations provides a glimpse of a young nation that was seeking to define itself, and a Mint that would quickly come into its own. This Legacy of the Canadian Nickel series is a retrospective look at the history of 5-cent coins minted by the Royal Canadian Mint, beginning with this crossed maple bough design that was used until 1921.
Don't be disappointed, this coin and the subscription will sell quickly so order yours today!
Special features:
¥ EACH COIN INCLUDES A UNIQUE EFFIGY: Each coin within the series is faithful to the original design andincludes the effigy of the reigning monarch at the time of the coin's original issue date.
¥ Subscribe today and then relax knowing that you will receive all six coins, one permonth! The crossed maple bough is the first coin ofthe six-coin Legacy of the Canadian Nickel series, which recreates previous 5-cent coin designs produced by the Royal Canadian Mint throughout its history,since 1908. Other coins in the subscription include:
à #2: Two Maple Leaves
à #3: The Victory
à #4: The Identification of Nickel
à #5: The Centennial 5-cent Coin
à #6: The Beaver
¥ Modern techniques and multiple finishes help bring the past to life with added definition and enhanced detailing.
¥ This coin's 40-mm diameter makes it double the size of the original, allowing for a larger canvas to showcase the intricately detailed design.
¥ This proof coin is 99.99%pure silver, with selective gold plating.
¥ Your coin is GST/HST exempt!
Coin design:
The reverse image features a recreation of William Henry James Blakemore's design, which graced the 5-cent coin from 1911 to 1921. Finely detailed engraving and selective gold plating recreate
St. Edward's Crown, the solid gold coronationcrown, as it appeared on the original coin design. New sculpting and finishes bring added definition tothe crossed bough of 22 maple leaves. Featured on the obverse is the effigy of King George V, who was the reigning monarch from 1910 to 1936.
Did you knowÃ
¥ The five-cent coin was largely made of silver. Nickel, which would give this coin its nickname, would be introduced in 1922.
¥ This coinwas much smaller than the 5-cent coin we're used to today! It measured 15.5 millimetres in diameter compared to the current measurement of 21.2, and weighed less than a third of what today's nickels weigh.
¥ Back then, Canadians found that the tiny size and silver glint of the Crossed Maple Bough five-cent piece resembled that of a fish's scales and, appropriately, took to calling the coin a "fish scale."
The crossed maple bough design (as recreated on this coin) appeared on 5-cent coins in some variation or another between 1858 and 1921. Early coins featured the effigy of Edward VII and Queen Victoria andwere produced by the Royal Mint in London, England,before being shipped across the Atlantic-a risky journey that was no longer necessary once Canada began producing its own coins.
In 1911, the obverse was updated with the new effigy of His Majesty George V; this was designed by William James Henry Blakemore, a noted British engraver who was responsible for Commonwealth coins. The adage "DEI GRATIA" was briefly omitted that same year, but was replaced with "DEI GRA:" on all subsequent coins minted from 1912-1921. The final version of this coin, minted in 1921, is one of the rarest of Canadian coins; once legislation passed to change the coin's metal composition, most of thatyear's mintage was melted down. It's thought that only about 100 of these coins survived!
