In 1943, Canada introduced a new reverse design for the 5 Cents coin. Instead of the beaver, it featured a torch and “V” for “victory” to help promote Canada’s World War II effort. The “V” has a double meaning: it was a representation of Winston Churchill's “V” for victory sign and of the Roman numeral “V” for five cents. A code message “We Win When We Work Willingly” is inscribed around the rim on the reverse. The “Victory” coin was struck until 1945 when the war ended; the beaver design returned in 1946. The 1943 and some 1944 coins were struck in tombac, an alloy that was developed to replace nickel in the 5 Cents coin. Tombac is a type of brass made from .880 copper and .120 zinc. Some 1944 and all 1945 coins were struck in steel because copper and zinc were needed for the war effort. The tombac and steel coins are 12-sided so they could be differentiated from a penny when they tarnished. The obverse of each World War II coin shows the portrait of King George VI. In 2005, the Royal Canadian Mint re-issued the wartime Victory nickel to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. The 2005 coin features the same Victory design but with the dual dates 1945 and 2005. The 2005 coin is nickel-plated steel. There are 4 “Victory” 5 Cents coins in the set – one from each year from 1943 to 1945, plus the 2005 coin. The obverse of the 2005 coin shows the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. The collection comes in a custom display wallet with a Certificate of Authenticity. |