Obverse. Photo © NumisCorner.com
  • 5 Cents 2003-2022, KM# 491, Canada, Elizabeth II
  • 5 Cents 2003-2022, KM# 491, Canada, Elizabeth II
  • 5 Cents 2003-2022, KM# 491, Canada, Elizabeth II, Composition mark (P)
  • 5 Cents 2003-2022, KM# 491, Canada, Elizabeth II, Winnipeg Mint mark (W) and composition mark (P)
  • 5 Cents 2003-2022, KM# 491, Canada, Elizabeth II, 2006: no mintmarks
Description

Starting in 2006 all five cent coins were made with the multi-ply steel method, so there was no need to use the "P" (for plated, composition mark) designation any more. It was replaced with a new maple leaf logo for the Royal Canadian Mint, which was added below the Queen's effigy (where the P used to be located). Approximately 43 million 2006 5 cent coins were produced using cupro-nickel and without any composition mark or logo.

In 2003 a number of 5 cent coins were minted with the mint mark "W" (Winnipeg Mint) as well as the "P" composition mark. These coins were inserted into Uncirculated coin sets.

Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 1926–2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and of 14 other Commonwealth realms. Her reign of 70 years and seven months, which began on 6 February 1952, was the longest of any British monarch in history.

When her father died in February 1952, Elizabeth—then 25 years old—became queen regnant of seven independent Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (Sri Lanka), as well as Head of the Commonwealth. Elizabeth reigned as a constitutional monarch through major political changes such as the Troubles in Northern Ireland, devolution in the United Kingdom, the decolonisation of Africa, and the United Kingdom's accession to the European Communities and withdrawal from the European Union. The number of her realms varied over time as territories have gained independence and some realms have become republics.

Times of personal significance have included the births and marriages of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, her coronation in 1953 and the celebrations of her Silver, Golden, Diamond, and Platinum jubilees in 1977, 2002, 2012, and 2022, respectively.

Obverse

Fourth portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II, when she was 77 years old, facing right and surrounded by the inscription.

Dei Gratia Regina (often abbreviated to D. G. Regina and seen as D·G·REGINA) is a Latin title meaning By the Grace of God, Queen.

Engraver: Susanna Blunt

ELIZABETH II D·G·REGINA
SB

Reverse

A beaver, over the inscription CANADA, is surrounded by the facial value, flanked on both sides by a maple leaf.

The beaver (genus Castor) is a large, primarily nocturnal, semiaquatic rodent. Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges (homes). They are the second-largest rodent in the world (after the capybara). Their colonies create one or more dams to provide still, deep water to protect against predators and to float food and building material.

The importance of the beaver in the development of Canada through the fur trade led to its official designation as the national animal in 1975. The animal has long been associated with Canada, appearing on the coat of arms of the Hudson's Bay Company in 1678. As a national symbol, the beaver was chosen to be the mascot of the 1976 Summer Olympics held in Montreal with the name "Amik" ("beaver" in Ojibwe).

Engraver: George Edward Kruger Gray

5 CENTS
K·G
CANADA
2008

Edge

5 Cents

4th portrait
KM# 491 Schön# 519a
Swap now (1 offer)
Characteristics
Material Nickel Plated Steel
Weight 3.95 g
Diameter 21.2 mm
Thickness 1.76 mm
Shape round
Alignment Medal
Mints
Royal Canadian Mint (Maple Leaf)
Royal Canadian Mint (P)
Royal Canadian Mint (WP)

Related coins

Silver, 1.167 g, ⌀ 15.494 mm

Silver, 1.167 g, ⌀ 15.494 mm

Silver, 1.167 g, ⌀ 15.494 mm