World War II
By Library and Archives Canada | Monday, 29 March 2004
As in World War I, the metallic composition of coinage had to be altered during World War II. Owing to the increased demand for nickel from the war-related industries, the government decided to mint the 5-cent coin from tombac, an alloy of zinc and copper with a colour similar to that of a penny. To avoid confusion, the new 5-cent coin had twelve sides. The 1943 coin had a morse-code message around its edge that read: "We win when we work willingly," a reminder to Canadians to redouble their efforts to win the war.
Canada, five cents, 1942, reverse
This article represents a portion of the the article titled Currency Museum of the Bank of Canada
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