Material: Nickel (100%)
Diameter: 21.21 mm
Weight: 4.54 g
Mint: Royal Canadian Mint, Ottawa (no mintmark)
Obverse: This historical Canadian five-cent piece features Mary Gillick’s initial portrait design of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse, surrounded by the Latin inscription "ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA." The edge pattern forms a signature 12-sided shape that helped citizens easily differentiate the coin from other denominations by touch alone. The 1953 issue holds a legendary status among Canadian numismatists due to major modifications in the die design midway through production, sparking a lifelong pursuit for variant collectors.
Reverse: Beaver on rock facing left, 5 CENTS above, CANADA 1953 below. Design by G.E. Kruger Gray.
Circa: 1953
Condition: Fine
Notes:
The 1953 Canadian nickel is famous for its "No Shoulder Fold" (NSF) and "Shoulder Fold" (SF) design varieties. The initial design struck the Queen's portrait in high relief, which caused her shoulder strap to appear missing on the coin and led to rapid die wear. To fix this issue, Thomas Shingles modified the minting dies later that year to lower the relief and deepen the shoulder details, adding a visible fold or strap. The flare of the letter "I" in the word "DEI" serves as the easiest indicator for collectors to distinguish the scarcer initial no-strap variety from the corrected strap revision.