what canadian nickels are silver

[LydiaFitz]

It's a fantastic question that gets to the heart of what makes coin collecting so exciting! While we call them "nickels" today, the Canadian five-cent piece has a rich history, and for a long time, it was actually a silver treasure. If you're hunting for silver, you'll want to look for the oldest Canadian five-cent coins.

Based on the history of the coin, you should focus your search on any Canadian five-cent piece dated 1921 or earlier. The composition changed slightly over the years, but this is the key period. The coins minted from 1858 all the way through 1919 were made of 92.5% sterling silver. These early coins were very small, earning them the popular nickname "fish scales."

For a very brief period in 1920 and 1921, the coin's composition was changed to 80% silver. Finding one of these is a real treat for any collector.

After 1921, the story of the five-cent coin changes dramatically. In 1922, Canada introduced a much larger coin made of nearly pure nickel, which is the coin that truly earned the "nickel" name and set the standard for decades to come. So, when you're sorting through old change, remember that any Canadian five-cent piece from 1921 or before isn't just a nickel—it's a valuable piece of silver history waiting to be rediscovered.