5 Cents - Elizabeth II (3rd portrait)

The Canadian five-cent coin featuring the third portrait of Queen Elizabeth II was introduced in 1990 as part of the Royal Canadian Mint's ongoing update to its circulation coinage. The obverse features the effigy designed by Dora de Pédery-Hunt, who holds the distinction of being the first Canadian artist to design a royal portrait for Canadian currency. This transition represented a shift toward more distinctly Canadian artistic influence on the country's circulating coins, moving away from the previous British-sculpted designs that had dominated the coinage since the late 1940s.

The reverse of the coin retains the iconic beaver design, an enduring symbol of Canadian industry and the fur trade that has appeared on the denomination since 1937. While the coin's design was widely accepted as a standard element of everyday commerce, it remains a notable piece for numismatists due to the specific aesthetic qualities of de Pédery-Hunt's portrait, which depicts a more mature, regal Elizabeth II wearing the George IV State Diadem. It served as a functional piece of national identity throughout the 1990s.