But there is another numismatic angle to The Big Nickel story. To raise money back in 1963-64, when Szilva was building the statue, he created and sold medals to underwrite the cost. If memory serves me right, it was that same 1951 nickel in a size, of course, larger than the coin. And I'll wager an E-Sylum reader will respond, "Hey, I have one of those!" Prove it. Send Wayne an image.

I not only have one in my collection (somewhere ...), but I have sold duplicates of this medal on eBay in the past. The standard eBay item description I use is:

Canada - Sudbury ON 1951 "The Big Nickel" medal

Obverse: Canada, Nickel 1751 - 1951, 5 Cents, (factory), (small "Can Art Dies" makers signature), The Big Nickel, (maple leaves), Sudbury, Canada

Reverse: Georgivs VI Dei Gratia Rex, (bust of George VI facing left)

Round, nickel, 38 mm. Lightly circulated. Issued to honor "The Big Nickel" statue in the Canadian Centennial Numismatic Park in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. One of a series of medals issued honoring the various numismatic statues in the Park.