This listing is for the photographed 1881 Canadian Sterling Silver 5 Cent Coin. Affordable coin for a collection.
Canadian Silver 5 Cent coins from this period are small coins, making them prone to damage and loss. Few remain in these conditions today.
In 1867, the British parliament passed The British North America Act, 1867 (now known as the Constitution Act, 1867), uniting the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick into a single country. Coins of the three former colonies continued to circulate until 1870, with all being legal tender throughout the country. As other colonies subsequently entered confederation, they dropped their colonial coinage and adopted the national Canadian currency.
In 1870, the first national coinage of the Dominion of Canada was issued in denominations of 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, and 50¢. A 1¢ coin was not issued until 1876. The designs were standardized with the head of Queen Victoria on the obverse, value and date with a crowned maple wreath reverse, except for the 1¢ coin, which had on its reverse a maple vine circlet.
1881 Canadian Silver 5 Cent Coin - VF (Very Fine) - Queen Victoria - Canada 5 Cent Sterling Silver 1881 Canada Five Cent Silver, Rarer Date