Canadian 5-cent coins were made of steel inthe years 1944 and 1945.qw In 1944, “wardemands for copper and zinc forced asuspension in the use of tombac for the 5-centpiece and the institution of plated steel. Thesteel was plated with nickel [.0127 mm] andthen returned to the plating tank for a verythin plating of chromium [.0003 mm]. Thechromium was hard and helped retard wear.” 1

“Chrome doesn’t stick to raw steel very well…it needs to be electroplated over a base metalthat it sticks to, such as nickel.”2

“A chromium-plated steel five-cent piece…was agreed upon, and first issued in 1944.Much thought was given to an explanation forthis… the Finance Department was ready tosay that the change was needed because theMint could not handle the current demands.The Mint proposed a blunt statement that thepublic disliked the tombac coins. This wasthought to reflect badly on the Financedepartment. As a compromise, the public wastold that the change depended on a shortageof both components of tombac, namely copperand zinc… By early 1945, supplies of nickelwere sufficient to permit this metal’s use incoinage, but the government continued toissue the steel coins… as a gesture to theStanley Steel Co which had gone to sometrouble in order to supply the steel blanks.”3

Steel planchets were also used in the years1951 to 1954.ertyu “The Korean Warwhich had begun in 1950 put renewed pressureon Canada’s supply of refined nickel which wasuseful for weapons of war as well as for coins.Once again the five-cent piece had to becomposed of steel.”3

Raw Steel EdgeTo prepare metal for minting, an ingot of coinmetal is rolled out into a long narrow stripwhich may be several hundred feet long andweigh several hundred pounds.4 The strip isthen coiled before being sent to a blankingpress. “Unfortunately it was necessary to platethe strips prior to the blanks being punchedout. This resulted in the edges of the blanks(and hence the coins) being unplated andvulnerable to rusting.”1 The unplated edge ofthe coin also leaves the plating layers moresusceptible to lamination (peeling) off of thesubstrate.i

Circulation ProblemsThe raw steel edge of 20th century plated coinseasily discolor and rust in the presence ofmoisture and/or normal human perspiration.While in circulation, scratches and nicks in thesurface of the coins expose the steel core,resulting in bubbling,o blistering, or flakingof the plating layers. Heavily worn coins mayhave portions of the plating layers completelyworn off, leaving them prone to surface rust.1)

q 5¢ 1944w 5¢ 1945e 5¢ 1951 LRr 5¢ 1952t 5¢ 1953 SFy 5¢ 1953 NSFu 5¢ 1954i 5¢ 1945 Laminated Platingo 5¢ 1945 Bubbling & Rust1) 5¢ 1945 Wear & Rust1! 5¢ 1944 Missing Chrome1@ 5¢ 1945 Missing Chrome

1# 5¢ 1952 Missing Chrome1$ 5¢ 1953 SF Missing Chrome1% 5¢ 1954 Missing Chrome1^ 5¢ 1944 Partial Chrome1& 5¢ 1945 Partial Chrome1* 5¢ 1944 Raw Steel

Missing Plating Layers1( 5¢ 1945 Raw Steel

Missing Plating Layers2) 5¢ 1945 Missing Nickel

Plating Layer

Coin Exhibit

Chrome-Plated Steel 5¢ Coins

20th Century chrome plated 5-cent pieces havea blue color tint. “Some collectors have notedsteel 5-cent pieces which have a dull graycolor… this is the result of some strips beingplated with nickel only.”1 1!1@1#1$1% Coins thatshow varying shades of blue and gray are onlypartially plated with chrome.1^1& “There arechemical ways to find out the composition…but visual [inspection] is the best method.”2

It’s likely that coin strip was plated whilecoiled, in order to fit into a plating bath tank.Missing or partial plating errors may haveresulted from some coils being too tightlywound, a faulty plating bath, insufficient timein the bath, surface contaminants on the strip,or a combination of factors. “The methods ofplating large pieces of steel were pretty crude50 odd years ago.”2 “The quality control onthe base metal was so poor, it explains thelack of chrome plating…the inspection processwas totally lacking.”2

Coins have been found missing both the nickeland chrome plating layers.1*1( The appearanceof the color and the distribution of surfacerust traces are indicators (chrome and nickeldo not exhibit surface rust). It is also possiblesome chromed coins did not properly receivethe underlying nickel layer.2)

AuthenticationCoins with Missing Chrome, Partial Chrome,and Missing Plating have been authenticatedand noted by two Canadian grading services.

Removing plating layers to create a fakeMissing Chrome error coin is difficult. Chromeplating can be removed with acid, though thisleaves the exposed steel edge of the coinporous and unnaturally colored.

Missing Chrome errors are authenticated byvisual inspection. They are more difficult toevaluate than other types of error coinsauthenticated with standardized measurementssuch as weight, size, and magnetic properties.

Modern Rarity?“The most common steel 5 cents missing thechromium plating is the 1944. They are fairlycommon, but very hard to find in high grade.”2

Missing Chrome coins from 1945 are lesscommon than for the year 1944. There aresufficient quantities on the market for both ofthese years that they are now listed in theTrends section in Canadian Coin News.

Steel coins with Missing Chrome are hard tofind for coins in the 1950s. At least one MissingChrome 1951 High-Relief coin is known.Only handful of coins from 1951 – 1954 arepresently known and/or certified as MissingChrome. Are these coins modern rarities?Regarding a 1952 No Chrome coin, it is saidthat there are “very few collectors of this typecoin and very few coins.” 5

References1 Canadian Coins, 60th Edition, William Cross,

The Charlton Press 20052 Canadian Coin Reference Site, Rick Simpson

2002–20053 Striking Impressions, 2nd Edition, J Haxby

19864 Price Guide to Mint Errors, A Herbert, House

of Collectibles 20025 Canadian Coin Reference Site, R Ash 2003

Missing Chrome & Partial Chrome Plating

q 5¢ 1944 w 5¢ 1945 e 5¢ 1951 LR r 5¢ 1952

t 5¢ 1953 SF y 5¢ 1953 NSF u 5¢ 1954 i 5¢ 1945Laminated Plating

o 5¢ 1945Bubbling & Rust

1) 5¢ 1945Wear & Rust

1! 5¢ 1944Missing Chrome

1@ 5¢ 1945Missing Chrome

1# 5¢ 1952Missing Chrome

1$ 5¢ 1953 SFMissing Chrome

1% 5¢ 1954Missing Chrome

1^ 5¢ 1944Partial Chrome

1& 5¢ 1945Partial Chrome

1* 5¢ 1944 Steel,Missing Plating

1( 5¢ 1945 Steel,Missing Plating

2) 5¢ 1945 MissingNickel Plating Layer