How to Identify the Canadian Five Cents (Nickel)
A collector's checklist for pinning down a Canadian nickel by its beaver reverse, monarch portrait, size, and composition era.
Read the full Canadian Five Cents (Nickel) encyclopedia entry →
Start with the beaver. The single most reliable marker of the Canadian five-cent coin is the Kruger Gray beaver on a log or mound with CANADA above and 5 CENTS with the date below. If your coin shows this animal and denomination, you have the right type; the 1987 example pictured is a standard beaver issue.
Read the portrait to narrow the date. The other side shows Queen Elizabeth II with the legend ELIZABETH II D.G. REGINA. The tiara-wearing effigy places a coin between 1965 and 1989, so a 1987 date fits that window. Earlier coins may show a younger laureate portrait, and coins from 1990 onward use a newer, older-looking effigy, which is a quick way to confirm the era at a glance.
Check size and shape. The modern Canadian nickel is round, about 21.2 mm across and roughly 4.6 grams. Be aware that some wartime and mid-century Canadian five-cent coins were twelve-sided rather than round; a round planchet is normal for 1987 and rules out those earlier variants.
Use a magnet to test the composition era. Pure-nickel coins struck through 1981 are strongly magnetic. The cupronickel coins of 1982 through 1999, including this 1987 piece, are not magnetic, while the nickel-plated steel coins from 2000 onward are magnetic again. Matching the magnet result to the date is a fast authenticity and dating cross-check.
Watch for look-alikes and altered coins. The Canadian five cents can be confused at a glance with other small copper-nickel coins, so always read the CANADA legend and the beaver design to confirm. With any coin, be cautious of re-cut or tooled dates and of cleaned surfaces; compare the date's font and spacing against a known-genuine example before assuming a scarce variety.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell which composition my Canadian nickel is?
Use the date and a magnet. Coins through 1981 are pure nickel and strongly magnetic; 1982–1999 coins are non-magnetic cupronickel; 2000-onward coins are magnetic nickel-plated steel. A 1987 coin is non-magnetic cupronickel.
Is my Canadian five-cent coin round or twelve-sided?
Modern coins like the 1987 issue are round, about 21.2 mm across. Some earlier Canadian five-cent coins from the wartime and mid-century periods were twelve-sided, so shape helps place the era.
How do I date a Canadian nickel from the portrait?
The tiara-crowned Elizabeth II effigy was used from 1965 to 1989. A younger laureate portrait indicates an earlier coin, and a newer, more mature effigy indicates 1990 or later. The date itself sits below the beaver on the reverse.