science

Nickel (Canadian coin)

Nickel (Canadian coin) is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Nickel (Canadian coin) rather than just read about it. In short: In Canada, a nickel, officially the five-cent piece, is a coin worth five cents, equal to 1⁄20 of a Canadian dollar. It was patterned on the corresponding coin in the neighbouring United States.

Key takeaways

Nickel (Canadian coin) belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Nickel (Canadian coin) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Nickel (Canadian coin) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In Canada, a nickel, officially the five-cent piece, is a coin worth five cents, equal to 1⁄20 of a Canadian dollar. It was patterned on the corresponding coin in the neighbouring United States. It became the smallest-valued coin in the currency upon the discontinuation of the penny in 2013.

History The first coinage minted for what would later become the Canadian Confederation originated in legislation enacted in 1853. Per the Act 16 Vict. c. 158, the Province of Canada was to issue "dollars, cents, and mills" that would co-circulate with British shillings and pence. This law eventually came to fruition five years later in 1858 when new coins were ordered to improve the Canadian monetary system. Five-cent coins in particular were struck during this year in a sterling silver alloy, had a diameter of 15.5 mm, and weighed 17.93 grains per piece. A young bust of Queen Victoria appears on the coin's obverse, while the reverse is decorated with a wreath with the given date and denomination below a crown. This was a one year issue as silver coins in general were not minted for Canada as a whole again until 1870. An issue arose due to the aftermath of the American Civil War, when currency of the United States dollar depreciated. Many unused silver coins were thus brought into Canada which disrupted the Canadian banking system. The Canadian government responded by expelling foreign silver coins and issuing new ones to take their place. Five-cent coins dated 1870 were all struck at the Royal Mint in London with the same weight and diameter as their 1858 counterparts.

Types and specifications

Circulation figures

Victoria and Edward VII

George V and George VI

Elizabeth II

Charles III

Commemoratives

Collecting According to author Allen G. Berman, Canadian nickels struck in pure nickel are "very difficult to grade" due to the alloy's hardness. Five-cent coins dated 1921 are among the rarest and most collectible Canadian circulation coins, known as "the Prince of Canadian Coins." Estimates of the number of specimens known range between 400 and 480. In May 1921, the government of Canada passed an act authorizing the change to the larger nickel coin, and subsequently the majority of the 1921 mint run was melted down. The coin believed to be the finest-known specimen (PCGS MS-67) sold for US$115,000 at auction in January 2010. It was then sold by the Canadian Numismatic Company for $160,000 to a private collector in early 2012.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Nickel (Canadian coin)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Nickel (Canadian coin) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Nickel (Canadian coin) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Nickel (Canadian coin) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Nickel (Canadian coin)

In research: Nickel (Canadian coin) appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Nickel (Canadian coin) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Nickel (Canadian coin) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1858 establishments in Canada, Beavers in art, Coins of Canada, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Nickel (Canadian coin) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Nickel (Canadian coin) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Nickel (Canadian coin) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Nickel (Canadian coin) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nickel (Canadian coin) in simple terms?

In Canada, a nickel, officially the five-cent piece, is a coin worth five cents, equal to 1⁄20 of a Canadian dollar. It was patterned on the corresponding coin in the neighbouring United States.

Why does Nickel (Canadian coin) matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Nickel (Canadian coin)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Nickel (Canadian coin).