The unique 1944 Canadian five-cent piece struck in tombac rather than the normal chromium-nickel plated steel of the year is being offered for auction in the upcoming American Numismatic Association (ANA) 108th Anniversary Convention Sale being conducted by Heritage Numismatic Auctions Inc. of Dallas, Texas August 10 - 13. This is only the second time the coin is being offered for public sale. The first time the coin crossed the auction block was more than 18 years ago at the 1982 ANA Mid-Winter Sale conducted by Kurt R. Krueger. Birmingham, Michigan rare coin dealer, John Abbott netted the enigmatic rarity with a successful bid of $7000. He was quoted in the March 17, 1982 front page Coin World story on the sale as being prepared to pay from $20,000 to $25,000 to obtain the coin if it had been necessary. The coin was graded by the American Numismatic Association Certification Service as VF-20.

Tombac - a brass alloy of 88% copper, 12% zinc - was used for the "war-time" 1942 and 1943 dated five-cent pieces as a substitute for the earlier 100% pure nickel planchets as an effort to conserve on nickel. Nickel, a strategically important component of stainless steel, was needed for the production of planes, ships and other military hardware employed in World War II.

Tombac apparently proved unpopular with the public and was replaced with a nickel-chromium plated steel core coin for the 1944 and 1945 issues, after which 100% nickel five-cent coinage was resumed.

The re-emergence of this Canadian rarity rekindles the question of exactly what it represents. Two schools of thought exist - some believe the coin was deliberately struck while others are convinced it's an error in the same class as the famous U.S. 1943 "copper" cents.

Those of the first school, cite the official Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) Report of 1944 as indicating $400 face value,or 8,000, of the coins dated 1944 were struck in late 1943 on tombac planchets and released into circulation early in 1944. Proponents of this theory feel the coins were struck either as business strikes or as patterns later approved for release into circulation. This theory fails to address the question as to why the government would produce patterns of a previously-adopted composition and design, or where the balance of pieces are if they were released into circulation.

Based on the observations of Canadian numismatic researchers, Robert Aaron and Dr. James Haxby, Canadian Coin News (CCN) Editor - Scott McLaren was probably the first to publish opposing theory. In his editorial of March 22, 1982, McLaren declares earlier stories on the 1944 tombac "nickel" appearing in CCN (and Coin World) as "untrue", stating that a 1944 tombac five-cent piece was never intentionally struck by the RCM. He sited press deadlines as the reason CCN's original story was not fully researched and was printed with erroneous information.

According to McLaren, what created the story was a "misreading of the Mint's report for 1943, which explained that roughly $400 worth of 1943 "nickels" had been placed into circulation in the early months of 1944." He explains that it is common practice at the Mint to maintain a small surplus of coins on hand from the previous year that are issued, "while the machinery for the new year's coins is set up." He contends that regular-issue tombac five cent pieces were indeed issued in 1944 but were dated 1943.

According to McLaren, the 1944 tombac five-cent piece is undoubtedly genuine and a probable mint error struck on a tombac planchet that somehow slipped in with the regular steel planchets. While the RCM is well-known for several clandestine issues, the grade of this coin is indicative of its circulating status and virtually confirms it as having been released through normal channels.

If the coin is indeed an error, the scenario is identical to the that which created the 15 highly publicized 1943-P-D-S U.S. "copper" cents. The 1943 "copper"(actually bronze) cents should have been struck on the "war-time" zinc plated steel planchets but a few were inadvertently struck on bronze planchets left in the system from the year before.

Interestingly, the Charlton Standard Catalog of Canadian Coins continues to note that 8,000 1944 tombac five cent pieces were struck and that most "remained unissued and were melted." They incorrectly note that the one public transaction that has taken place (reported in Canadian funds at $9,5000) occurred in 1983 rather than in 1982.

Collectors interested in bidding in the Heritage Numismatic Auctions Inc. Signature Sale may purchase the catalog from Heritage at 100 Highland Park Village, 2nd Floor, Dallas, Texas 75205-9992. Further information on the price of the catalog may be obtained by calling 1-800-US-COINS.