This huge low mintage 2018 pure silver 5 Cent Beaver is the fourth coin in the 2018 “Big Coins” pure silver proof series and part of one of the most sought after collections ever offered by the Royal Canadian Mint.  The subscription to the full seven piece set sold out from the Royal Canadian Mint within minutes of its release. In fact, since they were first introduced for 2015, every past coin in the Big Coins series has immediately sold out and appreciated in value in the secondary market, with some now selling for as much as $1200. 

The popularity of this series is easy to understand.  In addition to their impressive appearance with a 65 mm diameter, proof finish and selective rose gold plating, collectability is strongly supported by the extremely low mintage, which has been reduced this year to just 1,500 (from the mintage of 2,150 in 2017).  The coins are also widely viewed as the highest quality annual coin set in Canada, with each coin representing the very best and lowest mintage example of the denomination. As a pure silver coin produced by the Royal Canadian Mint, this item is GST/HST exempt.   

The Design:

While a regular five cent coin has a diameter of 21 mm and a weight of just 3.95 grams in base metal, this five cent has a diameter of 65 mm and has a weight of over 155 grams, or 5 ounces, in pure silver.  This is about equal the weight of 39 regular nickels. The coin is double or triple struck to ensure fine detail and a near flawless surface, while the design is further enhanced with selective rose coloured gold plating on both sides, highlighting the coin’s main design and the effigy of the queen.