A rendition of the Big Nickel and its iconic 12 sides.
Who knew a firefighter's passion project would turn into such a world-famous landmark? If you ever drive toward Sudbury, Ontario, the landscape shifts into that rugged, rocky terrain we all recognize. I can’t wait to visit and stand under this massive piece of history—a giant coin on a rocky hill that represents how this area helped build the country...
The Legend of the Big Nickel
Standing proudly on a hill overlooking the city at Dynamic Earth, the Big Nickel is the world's largest coin. Built in 1964 to celebrate Sudbury’s world-famous mining heritage, it is a monumentally scaled-up replica of a 1951 Canadian nickel. The original 1951 five-cent coin was designed by Canadian artist Stephen Trenka from Thornhill, Ontario, and the year was specifically chosen to mark the 200th anniversary of the element nickel's isolation by Swedish chemist Baron Axel Fredrik Cronstedt.
Fast Facts:
- • Dimensions: The coin itself is 9 metres (30 feet) high.
- • Total Height: Including its base, the monument reaches 12.8 metres (42 feet).
- • Weight: Approximately 13,000 kilograms (13 metric tonnes or 14.3 US tons).
- • Scale: It is exactly 64,607,747 times larger than an actual 1951 nickel.
SOFISTIKATEIT VISUAL ARCHIVE
"Drone View - Sudbury, The Big Nickel" — Visual by FlyingPlanet
The "Impossible" History
- The Rejection: Ted Szilva, a 28-year-old Sudbury firefighter, proposed the project for the 1967 Canadian Centennial. The local committee rejected it, calling it a "Mickey Mouse operation".
- Bypassing City Hall: Because the city refused him a building permit and road access, Szilva built the monument 0.9 metres (3 feet) outside the Sudbury city limits in the town of Copper Cliff.
- Funded by Collectors: To raise the $35,000 CAD (approx. $340,000 in 2025 value) needed to build it, Szilva sold commemorative coin sets and medals to numismatic clubs and collectors across North America.
- It Wasn’t the Only Coin: The original site was a "Numismatic Park" that once featured four other massive coins, including a Lincoln Penny and a $20 Gold Piece. The Big Nickel is the only one that remains today.
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| A rendition of the original Numismatic Park and its neighbouring giant coins as they appeared in 1964. |
Surprising Secrets
- It Isn't Made of Nickel: While it honors the "Nickel City," the monument is actually made of stainless steel sheets. This material (which contains nickel) was chosen so the coin would never rust.
- It Takes Up to 11 Hours to Clean: When the monument is professionally polished, it requires nearly a full day of "soda-blasting" (using baking soda) to restore its shine.
- It Moved: Originally built in 1964, the coin was dismantled in 2001 for a major refurbishment. It was moved to its current location at Dynamic Earth in May 2003.
- It Makes a Great Projection Screen: Because of its massive flat surface, the coin is often used for high-tech "projection mapping" shows during holidays and special city celebrations.
- The 12-Sided Design: Just like the 1951 original, it is a dodecagon. The 12 sides were originally designed so Canadians could distinguish a nickel from a penny by touch in the dark.
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