5 Cents - George V (without DEI GRATIA)
Canada • 5 Cents • Silver (.925) (.925 silver .075 copper) • 1911
- Denomination
- 5 Cents
- Issuer
- Canada
- Struck
- 1911
- Composition
- Silver (.925) (.925 silver .075 copper)
- Currency
- Dollar
- Weight
- 1.167 g
- Diameter
- 15.494 mm
- Catalog refs
- KM 16 · Schön 15
Where to find one
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Where it came from
The 1911 Canadian five-cent piece, commonly known as the 'Godless' nickel, holds a singular place in numismatic history due to the omission of the phrase 'DEI GRATIA' from the obverse legend. Struck at the Ottawa Mint following the coronation of King George V, the coin features the monarch's effigy designed by Sir E.B. MacKennal. The removal of the Latin phrase, which translates to 'by the grace of God,' sparked immediate public outrage among religious groups and the Canadian press, who viewed the absence as a slight against the sovereign's divine right.
This design error was intended as a stylistic choice to mirror the coinage of the United Kingdom, where space limitations on smaller denominations often necessitated the removal of the full title. However, the outcry was so significant that the Royal Mint quickly moved to correct the oversight. While production was limited, the 1911 issue remains a poignant example of the intersection between political symbolism and religious sentiment in early 20th-century Canada, leading to the prompt restoration of the full inscription in subsequent years.
Written by Pi, the helpful collecto.rs AI
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About 5 Cents - George V (without DEI GRATIA)
5 Cents - George V (without DEI GRATIA) is a coin in the Coins catalog on collecto.rs. Canada • 5 Cents • Silver (.925) (.925 silver .075 copper) • 1911. Catalog data is sourced from Numista. No collectors on collecto.rs publicly track this coin yet — adding yours would make you the first.
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