| Canada | |
| Value | 0.50 CAD |
|---|---|
| Mass | 6.9 g |
| Diameter | 27.13 mm |
| Thickness | 1.95 mm |
| Edge | milled |
| Composition | 93.15% steel, 4.75% Cu, 2.1% Ni plating |
| Years of minting | 1870–present |
| Catalog number | – |
| Obverse | |
| Design | Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada |
| Designer | Susanna Blunt |
| Design date | 2003 |
| Reverse | |
| Design | Canadian coat of arms |
| Designer | Thomas Shingles |
| Design date | 1959, updated 1997 |
The fifty-cent piece is the common name of the Canadian coin worth 50 cents. It is sometimes referred to as a "half dollar." The coin's reverse depicts the coat of arms of Canada. At the opening ceremonies for the Ottawa branch of the Royal Mint, held on January 2, 1908, Governor General Earl Grey struck the Dominion of Canada’s first domestically produced coin. It was a silver fifty-cent piece bearing the effigy of King Edward VII.
Though it is regularly minted, it is not made in large quantities (approximate annual average production of 450,000). It is very rare to encounter this denomination in everyday transactions, since there seems to be the mistaken belief among many Canadians that the coin itself is rare and thus of value in excess of 50 cents. Most times, when a 50-cent piece is exchanged in a transaction, it is saved by its recipient. Quite commonly, even bank tellers, upon being presented with 50-cent pieces, question the legality of the coin, because of the non-circulating status of the denomination. The coin occupies a similar status to that of the United States half-dollar coin. Newer vending machines do not generally accept it, even when they accept coins of both higher and lower value, but many older machines that were retooled to accept loonies will misidentify a 50-cent piece as a loonie, thus allowing the value of the coin to be doubled. A largely unsuccessful attempt was made by the Royal Canadian Mint to promote the use of the coin when a special edition was released in 2002 marking the 50th anniversary of the accession of Elizabeth II to the throne.
The mint's website lists the 2007 coat of arms 50¢ piece as "rarely seen yet replete with tradition,"[1][2] possibly an acknowledgement that the coin is minted primarily for collectors rather than circulation.
Contents |
| Years | Weight | Diameter/shape | Composition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–present | 6.9 g | 27.13 mm | 93.25% steel, 4.75% copper, 2.0% nickel |
| 1968–2000 | 8.10 g | 27.13 mm | 99.9% nickel |
| 1937–1966 | 11.66 g | 29.72 mm | 80% silver, 20% copper |
| 1920–1936 | 11.62 g | 29.72 mm | 80% silver, 20% copper |
| 1870–1919 | 11.62 g | 29.72 mm | 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper |
During the early to mid-1920s, demand for 50-cent pieces was minimal. Only 28,000 pieces were issued between 1921 and 1929. When greater demand for the denomination arose in 1929, the Master of the Ottawa Mint decided to melt the stock of 1920 and 1921 coins. It amounted to a total of 480,392 coins. The decision was due to the belief that the public would suspect counterfeits if a large number of coins dated 1920 and 1921 were placed into circulation. It is believed that 75 or so of the 1921 coins have survived, mainly from sets that were sold at the time.[5] Long known as the "King of Canadian Coins", this piece brings a price commensurate with its rarity and reputation, with a high grade example (PCGS MS-66) having sold for US$218,500 in a January 2010 Heritage Auction.[6] The highest graded specimen is graded by PCGS at MS-67 and sold (by Diverse Equities[7]) year 2000 to a private collector for the then sum of $400,000. Today this coin would most likely bring $1 million dollars at an auction.
The 2000-P 50-cent piece is another astounding Canadian numismatic rarity. Approximately 25 of the 2000-P 50-cent pieces were known to be minted. This makes the 2000-P 50-cent coin the rarest Canadian half-dollar ever produced. These coins were mounted into souvenir desk display clocks issued by the Royal Canadian Mint to the National Ballet of Canada. No more than 276 clocks were produced, however, about 25 clocks contained the plated, or "P," issue. This has led to considerable debate as to whether or not these coins were smuggled out of the mint by mint employees via some of the desk clocks. Both the 2000-P 10-cent and 25-cent issues are mired in similar controversy. Dubbed 'The King' of Modern Canadian Numismatics, this extremely rare coin is in high demand amongst coin collectors and investors.[8]
| Year | Theme | Artist | Mintage | Special notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Canadian Centennial | Alex Colville | 4,211,395 | Features a howling wolf. |
| 2002 | Golden Jubilee | Cathy Bursey-Sabourin | 14,440,000 | 50th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne. |
| Year | Theme | Mintage | Issue price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Coat of arms | 2,298 | $14.95 |
| 2006 | New mint mark | 5,000 | $29.95 |
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