5 Cents - Elizabeth II (2nd portrait; Copper-nickel)

The Canadian five-cent coin minted in 1982 features the second effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, a design created by Arnold Machin that was introduced to Canadian coinage in 1965. Machin’s portrait, which depicts the Queen wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara, was intended to project a more mature and regal image compared to the previous Mary Gillick effigy. The transition to a copper-nickel composition for this denomination had been finalized earlier in the 1980s, marking a move away from the traditional pure nickel that had defined the Canadian five-cent piece for much of the twentieth century.

This specific issue was produced at the Royal Canadian Mint during a period of standardized production, circulating widely throughout the country as a staple of daily commerce. The reverse design maintains the iconic beaver motif by G.E. Kruger-Gray, which has been a hallmark of the Canadian nickel since 1937. While millions of these coins were minted to meet the demands of the Canadian economy, this particular year is noted by numismatists as a standard example of the Machin-portrait era, representing the aesthetic continuity of the British Commonwealth’s coinage before the design was eventually updated to the Dora de Pédery-Hunt effigy in 1990.