1896 Canada Silver Five Cents coin. We grade this coin as Almost Uncirculated, but please decide for yourself. The coin pictured is the coin you will receive. Obverse Legend: VICTORIA DEI GRATIA REGINA. Reverse: Denomination and date within wreath, crown above. The Canadian Five cent coin, commonly called a nickel, is a coin worth five cents or one-twentieth of a Canadian dollar. The Canadian five cent piece had been introduced in 1858 as a small, thin sterling silver coin, that was colloquially known as a “fish scale”, not a nickel. The larger base metal version made of nickel, and called a “nickel”, was introduced as a Canadian coin in 1922, originally as a 99.9% nickel metal. These coins were magnetic, due to the high nickel content.