Canada — George VI (1936 — 1952)

The coins of George VI were struck from 1937 to 1952. Together with the king’s portrait by Thomas Humphrey Paget came new reverses, many of which are still on Canadian coins today: the maple twig on the cent and the beaver on the 5 cents by George Kruger Gray, the schooner Bluenose on the 10 cents and the caribou head on the 25 cents by Emanuel Hahn, and the arms of Canada on the 50 cents; the dollar kept the voyageurs in their canoe.

The war changed the 5 cents: nickel was needed by war industry, so in 1942 the coin was struck in tombac, a brass, and made twelve-sided so that it would not be mistaken for the cent. The 1943–1944 “Victory” nickel carried a V and a torch, with the motto “We win when we work willingly” in Morse code around the rim. In 1944–1945 it was struck in steel plated with nickel and chromium.

After India became independent in 1947, the words ET IND:IMP:, “Emperor of India”, were dropped from the title. The new dies were late, and early in 1948 coins were struck from the old ones, dated 1947 with a small maple leaf after the date. The silver stayed 800 fine throughout the reign. The commemoratives are the dollars of 1939 for the royal visit and of 1949 for Newfoundland joining Canada, and the 5 cents of 1951 for the bicentenary of the discovery of nickel.