Sudbury, Ontario, Canada: Giant Canadian Nickel
Built in 1964 by Ted Szilva, who had to fight opposition from the town. Dated 1951 (the 200th anniversary of the isolation of nickel as a mineral). Ted built four more giant coins (three of them American) but the nickel is the only one still standing.
- Address:
- 122 Big Nickel Mine Road, Sudbury, ON, Canada
- Directions:
- Hwy 69 to the exit for Regent St./Hwy 46. Drive west, then turn right onto Paris St./Hwy 80. North to Ramsey Lake Rd, then right to the Science North complex.
- Phone:
- 705-522-3701
- RA Rates:
- Worth a Detour
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The Big Nickel is a nine-metre (30 ft.) replica of a 1951 Canadian nickel, located at the grounds of Dynamic Earth in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. It is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's largest coin. The Big Nickel celebrated its 45th anniversary on July 22, 2009.
[Peter Hvidsten, 09/17/2011]Near Sudbury, Ontario there is a giant nickel about 29 feet wide, which was placed there to bring attention to the local nickel mines. I heard about it from my father.
[Willie Zaza, 06/12/2001]Nearby Offbeat Places
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The Big Nickel was mounted on top of a 13 ft. tall rock cairn and was dedicated in 1964 as part of Sudbury's centennial celebration. The nickel is 29 ft. 3 in. tall, made of wood covered in sheet metal. The design is based on a 1951 5-cent piece; on the reverse is a nickel refinery saluting the 1751 isolation of nickel as an element by a Swedish chemist.
The Big Nickel has moved -- temporarily -- from its location next to the Big Nickel Mine. In April 2001, the Nickel was transported to a location adjacent to Science North. It will remain there until 2003 while a new tourist attraction, Dynamic Earth, is constructed in its traditional location. Local authorities didn't want such an important tourist photo op trapped in a construction zone for two years.