1974 Canada Elizabeth II 5 Cents BU

About the 1974 Canada Elizabeth II 5 Cents BU

The Machin effigy shows the Queen wearing a tiara and facing right, framed by the legend ELIZABETH II D·G·REGINA, and it signalled a modernisation of the monarch's image across the Commonwealth. The reverse retains the beaver resting on a rock amid water, designed by George Edward Kruger Gray, a motif that had already become one of the most recognisable symbols of Canadian coinage, along with the inscription CANADA and the denomination. Struck in pure nickel, a metal that Canada was proud to mine in abundance, the coin is magnetic and highly durable, so many pieces survive in good condition. Production at the Royal Canadian Mint in Ottawa, and later at its newer facility in Winnipeg, gives collectors the chance to study differences in die preparation, strike quality and minor varieties within the same design. Its familiar beaver reverse, its link to a key stage in the portraiture of Elizabeth II and its availability make this type an appealing and accessible part of any collection of Canadian decimal coinage, rewarding both beginners assembling a date set and specialists hunting for varieties and superior examples.