When India gained independence in 1947, Canada had to drop “IND IMP” from its coinage — but wartime dies were already in use. The stopgap: keep striking 1947-dated nickels with a tiny maple leaf after the date. The 1947 Dot is the scarcest of the three 1947 varieties; the 1947 ML 5-cent is a popular transitional variety and a classic transitional-variety hunt.
Key facts
- Struck in nickel (post-1942 composition); 12-sided coin with the beaver reverse designed by Kruger-Gray and the George VI obverse by Paget.
- Three 1947 varieties exist: plain 1947, 1947 with dot after date, and 1947 with maple leaf after date (the ML variety was struck in 1948 while the IND IMP legend was being removed following Indian independence).
- Reported mintage for the 1947 ML: 9,595,124.
- The 1947 ML is the scarcest of the three 1947 varieties and a recognised variety in the beaver-nickel series.
- Authentication notes: the tiny maple leaf after the date is the diagnostic — verify it on any claimed example; genuine nickels are non-silver and weakly magnetic vs silver issues.
Market check
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