1981 Canada Elizabeth II modified 5 Cents

About the 1981 Canada Elizabeth II modified 5 Cents

It carries a modified version of the second portrait of the Queen, the effigy by Arnold Machin showing the monarch wearing a tiara. The Royal Canadian Mint refined this portrait from its earlier rendering, giving the bust a revised profile and proportions. Collectors seeking a complete run of the series can tell it apart from both the preceding and following issues by close attention to the obverse details. The reverse keeps the beloved beaver perched on a rock, the work of George Edward Kruger Gray, which has remained one of the most enduring emblems on Canadian coins. That transition makes the type an important bridge for specialists studying the evolution of Canada's small change. Its combination of a short lived portrait variant, a classic national design and a notable metallic composition gives it a secure place in any thorough collection of modern Canadian coinage.