1936 Canadian Nickel
The 1936 Canadian Nickel is a Canadian nickel struck for circulation with 4.4 million made. Value band: face value. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 1936
- Circulation mintage
- 4,400,450
- Value band
- Face value
- Composition
- Nickel (99.9%)
Original illustration of the coin's shape and metal. Tap to flip. Not a picture of the actual design.
Face value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 1936 Canadian Nickel worth?
With 4.4 million made, the 1936 Canadian Nickel is common and worth face value in circulated condition. Only uncirculated coins with full luster, recognized varieties and genuine errors interest collectors.
What would make yours worth more:
- Sharp detail with original luster
- A recognized variety for the date
- Professional grading for a key date
For market prices, look at recent sold results for the same coin in the same condition, not asking prices.
Quick answers
- Is the 1936 Canadian Nickel rare?
- No. 4.4 million were made, so circulated examples are worth face value.
- How many 1936 Canadian nickels were made?
- 4,400,450 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 1936 Canadian Nickel made of?
- Nickel (99.9%). It weighs 4.54 g and measures 21.2 mm.
- Is the 1936 Canadian Nickel still legal tender?
- Yes. Canadian 5-cent coins are legal tender.
The 1936 nickel in context
The 1936 nickel closes the George V era. The king died in January 1936 and his son became Edward VIII, but Edward abdicated in December before any Canadian coins with his portrait were issued. Canada simply kept striking coins with the George V effigy and the 1936 date. The mint produced 4,400,450 nickels that year, a healthy total as the economy began to recover from the worst of the Depression. It was the busiest year for the nickel since 1931.
The 1936 is also the last year of the original large nickel reverse, the plain design with CANADA, 5 CENTS and two maple leaves used since 1922. In 1937 every Canadian coin got a new reverse and the nickel became the beaver coin people know today. That makes 1936 a natural bookend for a George V set and a good contrast coin when you show someone how Canada's money changed in the space of a year. Because the mintage was large, examples are not hard to find, though crisp ones take more patience.
How to recognize it
Sir Bertram Mackennal's crowned bust of George V appears for the last time, with GEORGIUS V DEI GRA: REX ET IND: IMP:. The reverse keeps the 1922 layout: CANADA at the top, 5 CENTS between two maple leaves and the date below. The coin is round, pure nickel, 21.2 mm across and 4.54 g. By this point the design had been in use for fifteen dates and looks almost unchanged from the first year. Wear tends to show on the high points of the crown and on the edges of the maple leaves. On a sharp coin the line of the king's robe is crisp.
1936 Canadian Nickel by the numbers
By the numbers, the 1936 Canadian Nickel ranks 56th lowest of 161 Canadian nickel dates and varieties from 1858 to 2024. The next scarcer is the 1951 Beaver Canadian Nickel (4.31 million); the next more common is the 1928 Canadian Nickel (4.59 million).
For scale, the most common is the 2008 Canadian Nickel with 278.5 million, about 63 times as many. The scarcest is the 1884 Canadian Nickel with 200,000, 22 times fewer than this one.
Compared with the dates around it, the 1936 output was 1.1 times the 1935 figure and about the same as 1937.
Over the 1930s the Mint produced 40.9 million five cent coins across 10 dates and varieties; the 1936 Canadian Nickel accounts for 11% of that.
What to check on your 1936 Canadian Nickel
- Try a magnet. Nickel (99.9%) is magnetic, so a genuine 1936 coin sticks; a silver one would not.
- Never clean it. Rubbing or polishing leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
- Look at the high points of the portrait and the design. Wear there sets the grade. The grade in turn drives the value of older five cent coins.
The 1936 is a common date in worn grades and is mainly of interest as the last of the type. A sharp, unspotted example makes a satisfying end to a George V run. Remember that there are no Edward VIII nickels, so any coin claiming to show him is not a genuine Canadian circulation issue. Corrosion, spots and scratches are common, so take your time picking a good one. A pair with a 1937 beaver shows the change of design neatly.
George V large nickel five cents (1922 to 1936)
In 1922 Canada dropped the fiddly silver piece and adopted a large five cent coin in pure nickel, much like the coin its neighbor to the south already used. The choice made sense: Canada was one of the world's great nickel producers, the metal was durable and a coin of 4.54 g on a 21.2 mm round flan was hard to lose. It also gave the denomination the name most Canadians still use: the nickel.
The obverse kept Mackennal's crowned portrait of George V with the full legend that includes DEI GRA. The reverse was new and simple: CANADA above, 5 CENTS in the middle and the date below, with two maple leaves flanking the value. The design stayed in use until 1936. Mintages ran from around two to five million in most years, but output dropped hard in the middle of the decade, with only 200,050 coins dated 1925 and 933,577 dated 1926.
The 1925 is the key date of every Canadian nickel ever struck and the 1926 is the semi key, with a near 6 and far 6 variety to check. The early 1920s dates are also worth a second look in sharp condition. Nickel is hard, so these coins often show long, smooth wear rather than scratches. A clear date matters most, because worn dates can make a common year look like a rare one. Pure nickel coins are attracted to a magnet, which is normal for this period.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 5 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Canadian Mint |
| Year | 1936 |
| Circulation mintage | 4,400,450 |
| Composition | Nickel (99.9%) |
| Weight | 4.54 g |
| Diameter | 21.2 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Plain |
Frequently asked questions
Are there any Canadian nickels with Edward VIII?
No. Edward VIII reigned for less than a year in 1936 and abdicated before new Canadian coins with his portrait could be issued. Nickels dated 1936 all show his father, George V.
Why is 1936 considered the end of an era?
It is the last year of the George V portrait and of the plain two maple leaf reverse. In 1937 Canada introduced George VI and the beaver design, which has appeared on most nickels ever since.
Mintage figures: Nickel (Canadian coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Canadian Mint figures. How we build these pages.