The beaver nickel design, originally created by G.E. Kruger Gray for Canada's 1937 coinage reform, became one of the longest-running reverse designs in Canadian numismatic history — surviving on the circulating five-cent piece until 2012. This oversized silver issue is part of the RCM's ongoing practice of elevating workhorse circulation designs into collector formats, a program that has drawn equal parts enthusiasm and criticism for its volume and frequency.
The selective gold plating on this piece targets specific design elements rather than the full surface — a technique the RCM refined through the 2010s to differentiate premium collector issues.
The beaver nickel design, originally created by G.E. Kruger Gray for Canada's 1937 coinage reform, became one of the longest-running reverse designs in Canadian numismatic history — surviving on the circulating five-cent piece until 2012. This oversized silver issue is part of the RCM's ongoing practice of elevating workhorse circulation designs into collector formats, a program that has drawn equal parts enthusiasm and criticism for its volume and frequency.
The selective gold plating on this piece targets specific design elements rather than the full surface — a technique the RCM refined through the 2010s to differentiate premium collector issues.