2002 P Canadian Nickel
The 2002 P Canadian Nickel is a Canadian nickel struck for circulation with 136 million made. Value band: face value. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2002
- Circulation mintage
- 135,960,000
- Value band
- Face value
- Composition
- Plated steel
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 2002 P Canadian Nickel worth?
With 136 million made, the 2002 P 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:
- Full uncirculated luster
- A recognized variety or genuine error
- Coins from a specimen or proof set
For market prices, look at recent sold results for the same coin in the same condition, not asking prices.
Quick answers
- Is the 2002 P Canadian Nickel rare?
- No. 136 million were made, so circulated examples are worth face value.
- How many 2002 P Canadian nickels were made?
- 135,960,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 2002 P Canadian Nickel made of?
- Plated steel. It weighs 3.95 g and measures 21.2 mm.
- Is the 2002 P Canadian Nickel still legal tender?
- Yes. Canadian 5-cent coins are legal tender.
The 2002 nickel in context
In 2002 Elizabeth II celebrated fifty years on the throne and Canada marked the Golden Jubilee on its circulating coins. The nickel, like the other denominations, carries the double date 1952 2002 instead of a single year. The design otherwise stayed the familiar beaver, so the jubilee is marked by the dates rather than by a new picture. The double date was a simple way to mark the anniversary on every coin without new designs.
The mint struck 135,960,000 nickels in 2002, all with the P mark for plated steel. Every 2002 nickel carries the double date, so the jubilee coin is simply the 2002 nickel. It was one of the last issues with the Dora de Pédery-Hunt portrait, which gave way to a new one by Susanna Blunt the following year. Because the mintage was so large, the 2002-P is very common in circulation, but its double date makes it an attractive souvenir of the jubilee. Many people kept one at the time and they are easy to find now. It is a modern souvenir anyone can find.
How to recognize it
The obverse carries Dora de Pédery-Hunt's crowned portrait of the queen, with the P below. The coin also bears the jubilee double date 1952 2002. The reverse shows the Kruger Gray beaver on a rock, with CANADA above and 5 CENTS below. The coin is round and made of multi-ply plated steel, so it sticks to a magnet. On a well preserved coin the beaver's fur and the queen's crown are crisp. The double date is what makes this coin different from other plated nickels of the period. The P sits below the portrait, as on other plated coins of these years. The steel core makes it lighter than the cupronickel coins.
2002 P Canadian Nickel by the numbers
By the numbers, the 2002 P Canadian Nickel ranks 146th lowest of 161 Canadian nickel dates and varieties from 1858 to 2024. The next scarcer is the 1980 Canadian Nickel (134.9 million); the next more common is the 2001 P Canadian Nickel (136.7 million).
For scale, the most common is the 2008 Canadian Nickel with 278.5 million, about 2 times as many. The scarcest is the 1884 Canadian Nickel with 200,000, 680 times fewer than this one.
Compared with the dates around it, the 2002 output was about the same as 2001 and 2.2 times the 2003 figure.
Over the 2000s the Mint produced 1.83 billion five cent coins across 15 dates and varieties; the 2002 P Canadian Nickel accounts for 7.4% of that.
What to check on your 2002 P Canadian Nickel
- Try a magnet. Plated steel is magnetic, so a genuine 2002 coin sticks; a silver one would not.
- Never clean it. Rubbing or polishing leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
- Look for full luster and no scratches. Modern five cent coins only interest collectors in uncirculated condition or with a recognized variety.
The 2002-P is common and usually holds face value. It is a nice coin to keep as a jubilee souvenir and a good example of a commemorative double date. Uncirculated coins from mint sets have the best surfaces. Look for coins without scratches across the queen's portrait or the beaver and check the plating for any wear. Coins with sharp rims and no spots on the plating look best in an album. Many were saved at the time, so take your time and choose a good one.
Plated steel nickels (2000 to 2024)
To cut costs the Royal Canadian Mint moved the nickel to multi-ply plated steel, a steel core with thin layers of copper and nickel plated over it. Apart from a small number of 1999 test coins, coins dated 2000 were the first made this way. They carry a small P under the portrait, which stands for plated. They also stick to a magnet. Coins without the P were still struck alongside them in several years. From 2006 the Royal Canadian Mint's maple leaf logo began to replace the P as the mark on these coins.
Susanna Blunt's uncrowned portrait of Elizabeth II replaced Dora de Pédery-Hunt's in 2003. Several commemoratives broke up the beaver run: the 2002 Golden Jubilee double date, the 2005 return of the wartime Victory torch and the 2017 design for Canada's 150th. When the cent stopped being distributed in 2013, cash totals began to be rounded to the nearest five cents and the nickel became the smallest coin in everyday use. Coins dated 2023 brought the first portrait of Charles III, by Steven Rosati.
Almost every date here is face value. The ones to set aside are the 2000 P, the first steel issue at 2.3 million, the commemorative 2005 Victory and 2017 Canada 150 coins and any 2023 with the new king. For the early years check whether your coin has a P and test it with a magnet, because the plain and P coins are different metals. Charles III faces left, the opposite way from his mother.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 5 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Canadian Mint |
| Year | 2002 |
| Circulation mintage | 135,960,000 |
| Composition | Plated steel |
| Weight | 3.95 g |
| Diameter | 21.2 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Plain |
Frequently asked questions
Why does the 2002 nickel have two dates?
The dates 1952 and 2002 mark the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II, fifty years after she became queen. All circulating Canadian coins struck that year carried the double date of the jubilee.
Is the 2002 jubilee nickel rare?
No. The mint struck 135,960,000, so it is very common in change. It is a nice keepsake but usually holds face value. Uncirculated examples from sets are the most appealing.
Mintage figures: Nickel (Canadian coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Canadian Mint figures. How we build these pages.