1988 Canada Elizabeth II, Copper-nickel 5 Cents

About the 1988 Canada Elizabeth II, Copper-nickel 5 Cents

The Royal Canadian Mint abandoned the pure nickel composition that had long defined the denomination and adopted a copper-nickel alloy of 75% copper and 25% nickel, a change driven by rising metal costs and the need for a more economical coin. The obverse carries the mature, tiara-wearing effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Arnold Machin, known to collectors as her second portrait. It presents the monarch with a dignified, contemporary elegance that defined Canadian coinage throughout this part of her reign. The reverse retains the beloved beaver design by George Edward Kruger Gray, showing the industrious animal perched on a rock emerging from the water. This national emblem has graced the denomination for generations and remains one of the most recognizable images in Canadian numismatics. Production was carried out by the Royal Canadian Mint at its Ottawa and Winnipeg facilities. For collectors, the type is significant as the final chapter of the Machin portrait on this denomination and as a clear metallurgical turning point. Its examples, offered in several finishes, provide an accessible and rewarding way to study the evolution of Canada's modern coinage, the shift in alloy, and the enduring appeal of the beaver motif.