1954 – 5 Cents Canada – NSF

The 1954 Canadian 5 cents coin known as the NSF (No Shoulder Fold) is a rare variety of the 1954 nickel made of chrome-plated steel with a composition of nickel and chromium plating, weighing 4.54 grams and measuring 21.3 mm in diameter. It features on the obverse a bust of Queen Elizabeth II wearing a laurel wreath, designed by Mary Gillick, with the legend “ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA.” The reverse depicts a beaver sitting on a log with two maple leaves, designed by G. E. Kruger-Gray. The NSF variety is distinguished by the absence of the shoulder fold on the Queen’s portrait and has stronger serifs on the letters ‘I’ in “II” and “DEI,” a wider gap between the maple leaves and the denticles, and a slightly smaller overall design including the date being further from the rim. Only a few certified examples of the rare NSF variety exist, making it highly prized among collectors.