1965 – 5 Cents Canada – Small Beads

The 1965 Canadian 5 cents coin with small beads features 119 beads around the rim as opposed to the large beads variety which has 138. It is made of nickel, weighs 4.54 grams, has a diameter of 21.21 mm, and a plain edge. The obverse side shows the bust of Queen Elizabeth II wearing a tiara, designed by Arnold Machin, with the legend “ELIZABETH II D – G – REGINA.” The reverse depicts a beaver on a log, designed by G. E. Kruger-Gray, with the legends “5 CENTS CANADA 1965.” The small beads variety is the common circulation type with a firmly attached jewel on the tiara, differentiating it from the rare large beads variety where the jewel appears detached. Its mintage for circulation was over 84 million coins, making it plentiful. The coin is magnetic and has a melt value of about $0.12 CAD in recent times. The small beads design is subtle and requires counting or close inspection to distinguish from the large beads version.