Canadian Silver Dollars (2024)

Canada's First Silver Dollar - The Pattern of 1911

Considered the greatest, and most storied, rarity in all of Canadian numismatics with only two examples struck in silver. One coin is permanently housed in the National Currency Collection in Ottawa along with a single striking in lead that surfaced in late 70's and second specimen is in private collection.

The Dominion of Canada Currency Act of 1910 provided for the striking of a Canadian Silver Dollar in .925 silver with a weight of 360 grains. A coinage press was obtained from England for the purpose of striking Dollar-size coins. The Royal Mint prepared dies and a pair of Specimens were struck in silver, and one in lead. For some reason, Canadian government authorities decided against issuing business strike Silver Dollars at this time. Sir E. Bertram MacKennal designed an obverse that shows George V, in crown and robes, facing left. The initials B.M. appear on the truncation of the bust. The legend is in Latin GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: REX ET IND: IMP: and translates as GEORGE V, BY THE GRACE OF GOD KING AND EMPEROR OF INDIA. The reverse was designed by W.J. Blakemore and taken from a previous design by the noted British coin and medal designer, Leonard C. Wyon. The reverse design has a crown at 12 o'clock, above a maple wreath which surrounds the legend ONE DOLLAR CANADA 1911.

1935 Commemorative Dollar - Silver Jubilee

The obverse of the first Canadian silver dollar struck for circulation was used to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the accession of George V: his Silver Jubilee. His Majesty’s portrait was work of Percy Metcalfe, artist and sculptor. This design has been introduced a few years earlier on other Commonwealth coinage (Fiji, Southern Rhodesia, Australia, New Zealand).
The reverse was a very modern design for its time and was a work of eminent Canadian sculptor Emanuel Hahn. His initials EH appear in the water below the left end of canoe. Explorers and trappers with native aboriginal guides helped shape the country’s beginning and few designs have been better able to depict the scene than the “Voyageur”.
The design shows a voyageur (travelling agent for a fur trade company) and native aboriginal paddling a canoe with an islet bearing two wind-swept trees in the background. The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) are in the background. The canoe also carries several bundles of fur. On the front bundle are the incuse initials HB. This signifies Hudson’s Bay Company, which played major role in Canada’s early history. Since 1935, the “Voyageur” design has been used to form the regular, non-commemorative, reverse on Canada’s silver dollars and later on, beginning in 1968 on nickel dollars.

Specification:

Obverse Design: Percy Metcalfe
Reverse Design: Emanuel Hahn
Obverse Legend: GEORGIVS V REX IMPERATOR ANNO REGNI XXV
Reverse Legend: CANADA DOLLAR 1935
Diameter: 36.00 mm
Weight: 23.327 grams
Composition: .800 silver, .200 copper
Edge: reeded
Mintage: 428,120

1936 Silver Dollar

Specification:

Obverse Design: Sir E. B. MacKennal
Reverse Design: Emanuel Hahn
Obverse Legend: GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: REX ET IND: IMP:
Reverse Legend: CANADA DOLLAR 1936
Diameter: 36.00 mm
Weight: 23.327 grams
Composition: .800 silver, .200 copper
Edge: reeded
Mintage: 339,600

1937 Silver Dollar - Reign of King George VI

Specification:

Obverse Design: T. Humphrey Paget
Reverse Design: Emanuel Hahn
Obverse Legend: GEORGIVS VI D: G: REX ET IND: IMP:
Reverse Legend: CANADA DOLLAR 1937
Diameter: 36.00 mm
Weight: 23.327 grams
Composition: .800 silver, .200 copper
Edge: reeded
Mintage: 207,400

1938 Silver Dollar - King George VI

Specification:

Obverse Design: T. Humphrey Paget
Reverse Design: Emanuel Hahn
Obverse Legend: GEORGIVS VI D: G: REX ET IND: IMP:
Reverse Legend: CANADA DOLLAR 1938
Diameter: 36.00 mm
Weight: 23.327 grams
Composition: .800 silver, .200 copper
Edge: reeded
Mintage: 89,990

1939 Silver Dollar - Commemorative - Royal Visit - Parliament Building

The year 1939 saw Canada's second commemorative dollar. This time the reverse was used as commemorative device for the Royal visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to Canada in May and June of 1939. The design shows the Centre Block and the Peace Tower, the main building of the Canadian parliamentary complex on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, Ontario. The Latin phrase on the reverse, "FIDE SVORVM REGNAT" is translated, "He reigns by the faith of his people". Although Hahn's initials EH flanked the building on the original model, they were removed by government direction and never appeared on the coins. The obverse remained unchanged from the previous years issues of king George VI.

Obverse Design: T. Humphrey Paget
Reverse Design: Emanuel Hahn
Obverse Legend: GEORGIVS VI D: G: REX ET IND: IMP:
Reverse Legend: FIDE SVORVM REGNAT / CANADA / 1939 / DOLLAR
Diameter: 36.00 mm
Weight: 23.327 grams
Composition: .800 silver, .200 copper
Edge: reeded
Mintage: 1,205,700

1945 Silver Dollar

The production of silver dollar coins was suspended during the World War II, there are no dollars issued from 1940 to 1944. Silver dollar production resumed in 1945 with the smallest mintage up to that time: only 38,390 pieces were struck. Silver dollars from 1945 are very hard to get in high flawless grade in which they command good premium.

Specification:

1946 Silver Dollar

The obverse and reverse design for 1946 silver dollar remained unchanged from the previous year.

Specification:

Obverse Design: T. Humphrey Paget
Reverse Design: Emanuel Hahn
Obverse Legend: GEORGIVS VI D: G: REX ET IND: IMP:
Reverse Legend: CANADA DOLLAR 1946
Diameter: 36.00 mm
Weight: 23.327 grams
Composition: .800 silver, .200 copper
Edge: reeded
Mintage: 93,000

1947 Silver Dollar (regular issue)

Obverse Design: T. Humphrey Paget
Reverse Design: Emanuel Hahn
Obverse Legend: GEORGIVS VI DEI GRATIA REX
Reverse Legend: CANADA DOLLAR 1948
Diameter: 36.00 mm
Weight: 23.327 grams
Composition: .800 silver, .200 copper
Edge: reeded
Mintage: 65,600

1947 Silver Dollar (Maple Leaf issue)

1948 Silver Dollar

The obverse design for 1948 silver dollar changed from the previous year to offset the change of official title of George VI as Emperor of India. Following India's independence in 1947 King George VI ceased being its Emperor and his title on the coins had to be changed accordingly. For Canadian coinage, the deletion of "ET IND: IMP:" (AND EMPEROR OF INDIA) from the obverse legend was to occur in 1948. Reverse design remained unchanged.

Specification:

1949 Silver Dollar - Commemorative - Entry of Newfoundland into the Confederation

The 1949 issue is considered by many to be the most beautiful of all Canadian silver dollars.It was issued as the third commemorative in the silver dollars series and was issued to mark the entry of Newfoundland into the Confederation. The reverse shows "Matthew", the ship in which John Cabot is thought to have discovered the island in 1497.

Specification:

Obverse Design: T. Humphrey Paget
Reverse Design: Thomas Shingles
Obverse Legend: GEORGIVS VI DEI GRATIA REX
Reverse Legend: CANADA / FLOREAT TERRA NOVA / 1949 / DOLLAR
Diameter: 36.00 mm
Weight: 23.327 grams
Composition: .800 silver, .200 copper
Edge: reeded
Mintage: 627,000

1950 Silver Dollar

1950 saw a return of standard Voyageur design reverse.

Specification:

Obverse Design: T. Humphrey Paget
Reverse Design: Emanuel Hahn
Obverse Legend: GEORGIVS VI DEI GRATIA REX
Reverse Legend: CANADA DOLLAR 1950
Diameter: 36.00 mm
Weight: 23.327 grams
Composition: .800 silver, .200 copper
Edge: reeded
Mintage: 261,000

1951 Silver Dollar

Design for 1951 was standard Voyageur design reverse.

Specification:

1952 Silver Dollar

Design for 1952 was standard Voyageur design reverse.

Specification:

Obverse Design: T. Humphrey Paget
Reverse Design: Emanuel Hahn
Obverse Legend: GEORGIVS VI DEI GRATIA REX
Reverse Legend: CANADA DOLLAR 1952
Diameter: 36.00 mm
Weight: 23.327 grams
Composition: .800 silver, .200 copper
Edge: reeded
Mintage: 406,148

1953 Silver Dollar - Reign of Queen Elizabeth II

Design for 1953 was standard Voyageur design reverse.

Specification:

Obverse Design: Mrs. Mary Gillick
Reverse Design: Emanuel Hahn
Obverse Legend: ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA
Reverse Legend: CANADA DOLLAR 1953
Diameter: 36.00 mm
Weight: 23.327 grams
Composition: .800 silver, .200 copper
Edge: reeded
Mintage: 1,074,578

1954 Silver Dollar

Design for 1954 was standard Voyageur design reverse.

Specification:

Obverse Design: Mrs. Mary Gillick
Reverse Design: Emanuel Hahn
Obverse Legend: ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA
Reverse Legend: CANADA DOLLAR 1954
Diameter: 36.00 mm
Weight: 23.327 grams
Composition: .800 silver, .200 copper
Edge: reeded
Mintage: 246,606

1955 Silver Dollar

Design for 1955 was standard Voyageur design reverse.

Specification:

Obverse Design: Mrs. Mary Gillick
Reverse Design: Emanuel Hahn
Obverse Legend: ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA
Reverse Legend: CANADA DOLLAR 1955
Diameter: 36.00 mm
Weight: 23.327 grams
Composition: .800 silver, .200 copper
Edge: reeded
Mintage: 268,105

1956 Silver Dollar

Design for 1956 was standard Voyageur design reverse.

Specification:

Obverse Design: Mrs. Mary Gillick
Reverse Design: Emanuel Hahn
Obverse Legend: ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA
Reverse Legend: CANADA DOLLAR 1956
Diameter: 36.00 mm
Weight: 23.327 grams
Composition: .800 silver, .200 copper
Edge: reeded
Mintage: 209,092

1957 Silver Dollar

Design for 1957 was standard Voyageur design reverse.

Specification:

Obverse Design: Mrs. Mary Gillick
Reverse Design: Emanuel Hahn
Obverse Legend: ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA
Reverse Legend: CANADA DOLLAR 1957
Diameter: 36.00 mm
Weight: 23.327 grams
Composition: .800 silver, .200 copper
Edge: reeded
Mintage: 496,389

1958 Silver Dollar - British Columbia Commemorative

In commemoration of the gold rush centenary and the establishment of British Columbia as a British Crown colony, a special reverse design was employed for year 1958. The reverse design depicts a Native American totem pole with the mountains of British Columbia in the background.

Because the totem pole contained an element which signified death the 1958 British Columbia dollar proved unpopular with the Coastal Natives.

Specification:

Obverse Design: Mrs. Mary Gillick
Reverse Design: Stephen Trenka
Obverse Legend: ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA
Reverse Legend: CANADA BRITISH COLUMBIA DOLLAR 1858 1958
Diameter: 36.00 mm
Weight: 23.327 grams
Composition: .800 silver, .200 copper
Edge: reeded
Mintage: 3,039,630

1959 Silver Dollar

Design for 1959 was standard Voyageur design reverse.

Specification:

Obverse Design: Mrs. Mary Gillick
Reverse Design: Emanuel Hahn
Obverse Legend: ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA
Reverse Legend: CANADA DOLLAR 1959
Diameter: 36.00 mm
Weight: 23.327 grams
Composition: .800 silver, .200 copper
Edge: reeded
Mintage: 1,443,502

1960-1963 Silver Dollars

Design and specification for silver dollars issued from 1960 - 1963 remained unchanged with standard Voyageur design reverse.

Mintages:

1960: 1,420,486
1961: 1,262,231
1962: 1,884,789
1963: 4,179,981

1964 Commemorative Silver Dollar - Confederation Meetings

1964 represented the 100th Anniversary of the historic meetings in Charlottetown and Quebec City in 1864 that began the process of moving from individual colonies to a single confederation. The reverse, designed by Dinko Vodanovic and Thomas Shingles, prominently features a circle with a the French fleur-de-lis, Irish shamrock, Scottish thistle, and English rose all conjoined with “CHARLOTTETOWN” and “QUEBEC” outside of the circle. Flanking the circle design are the designer's initials, D.V. to the left and T.S. to the right. On the outer periphery are the words “CANADA”, “DOLLAR”, and the dual date “1864 1964”.

Specification:

Obverse Design: Mrs. Mary Gillick
Reverse Design: Dinko Vodanovic
Obverse Legend: ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA
Reverse Legend: 1864 CANADA 1965 DOLLAR CHARLOTTETOWN QUEBEC
Diameter: 36.00 mm
Weight: 23.327 grams
Composition: .800 silver, .200 copper
Edge: reeded
Mintage: 7,296,832

1965 Silver Dollar

Design for 1965 was standard Voyageur design reverse, but with the new portrait of the Queen Elizabeth II.

Specification:

Obverse Design: Arnold Machin
Reverse Design: Emanuel Hahn
Obverse Legend: ELIZABETH II D. G. REGINA
Reverse Legend: CANADA DOLLAR 1965
Diameter: 36.00 mm
Weight: 23.327 grams
Composition: .800 silver, .200 copper
Edge: reeded
Mintage: 10,768,569

1966 Silver Dollar

Design for 1966 was standard Voyageur design reverse.

Specification:

Obverse Design: Arnold Machin
Reverse Design: Emanuel Hahn
Obverse Legend: ELIZABETH II D. G. REGINA
Reverse Legend: CANADA DOLLAR 1966
Diameter: 36.00 mm
Weight: 23.327 grams
Composition: .800 silver, .200 copper
Edge: reeded
Mintage: 9,470,107

1967 Commemorative Silver Dollar - 1867-1967 Confederation Centennial

To mark the 100th anniversary of the Confederation it was decided that all denominations for 1967 would bear commemorative reverses. Circulating coins designed by famous Canadian artist Alex Colville were issued depicting various animals common to Canada, with a flying Canada goose on these silver dollar coins.

Specification:

Obverse Design: Arnold Machin
Reverse Design: Alex Colville
Obverse Legend: ELIZABETH II D. G. REGINA
Reverse Legend: DOLLAR CANADA 1867-1967
Diameter: 36.00 mm
Weight: 23.327 grams
Composition: .800 silver, .200 copper
Edge: reeded
Mintage: 7,048,299

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FAQs

Are Canadian silver dollars worth anything? ›

$1 Dollar -Silver coins

The Greysheet Catalog (GSID) of the $1 Dollar -Silver series of Canada in the World Coins contains 64 distinct entries with CPG^® values between $20.67 and $26,400.00.

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Are Canadian silver dollars a good investment? ›

Not only does the Canadian Silver Maple Leaf hold significant value, but it also offers excellent liquidity. Morgan Silver DollarsMorgan Silver Dollars were minted from 1878 to 1904 and again in 1921. They are composed of 90% silver and 10% copper and weigh 26.73 grams.

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What is a 1948 Canadian silver dollar worth? ›

Specimen strikes of the 1948 Canada Dollar graded PCGS SP63 to PCGS SP65 fetch prices in the vicinity of $4,500 to $6,000, while business-strikes in a similar numerical grade range usually command much more. Examples in the Gem grade of PCGS MS65 typically trade for approximately $11,500 and up.

What is a 1964 Canadian silver dollar worth? ›

1964 $1 Dollar -Silver coins

	$1 Dollar -Silver	Value Range
$1 Dollar -Silver		Value Range
	1964 $1 Dot MS	$21.55 - $390 $21.55 - $390
	1964 $1 No Dot MS	$24.25 - $780 $24.25 - $780
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How much is 1 oz of silver worth in Canadian dollars? ›

1 XAG = 40.468793 CAD Jun 22, 2024 19:05 UTC

Check the currency rates against all the world currencies here. The currency converter below is easy to use and the currency rates are updated frequently.

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What is the holy grail of Canadian coins? ›

The 1911 Canadian Silver Dollar is considered to be the Holy Grail of Canadian coins. While three coins exist, only one lives in the outside world, available for collectors.

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Are any Canadian dollars valuable? ›

Most Canadian coinage is categorically inexpensive and easy to obtain from dealers who specialize in this material. However, some pieces are quite rare and valuable, with many of Canada's most sought-after coins commanding four or five figures. A few pieces even fetch more than $100,000!

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What year did Canada stop making silver dollars? ›

1967 marked the end of the silver dollar as a business strike, or a coin issued for circulation. After 1967, the dollar coin was made of nickel, except for non-circulating commemorative issues for the collector market, which continue to contain silver.

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What is the silver value of a Canadian silver dollar? ›

Melt Values of World Silver Coins

Coin	Composition	Melt Value Updated 6/22/2024
Canada Silver Half Dollar (1920-1967)	80% Silver	$8.89
Canada Silver Dollar (1935-1967)	80% Silver	$17.77
France Silver Franc (1871-1920)	83.5% Silver	$3.98
France Silver 2 Francs (1870-1920)	83.5% Silver	$7.95

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What is the error on the 1964 Canadian silver dollar? ›

There are two varieties of the 1964 silver dollar. If you look above the dot between the "C" in Quebec and the "N" in Charlottown you will see the designer's initials "T.S." On some coins the dot between T and S is missing. This is called the "No Dot" variety.

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What is a 1965 Canadian silver dollar worth? ›

1965 $1 Dollar -Silver coins

$1 Dollar -Silver	Value Range
$1 Dollar -Silver	Value Range
1965 $1 Type 1 MS	$20.67 - $293 $20.67 - $293
1965 $1 Type 2, Medal Alignment MS	$20.67 - $585 $20.67 - $585
1965 $1 Type 2, Coin Alignment MS	$14,400 - $14,400 $14,400 - $14,400

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What is a 1963 Canadian silver dollar worth? ›

1963 $1 Dollar -Silver coins

	$1 Dollar -Silver	Value Range
$1 Dollar -Silver		Value Range
	1963 $1 MS	$20.71 - $390 $20.71 - $390
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Are old Canadian dollars worth anything? ›

Since dollar bills were discontinued in 1989, they are exceedingly unique and can fetch up to $350. As with all coin collectibles and antiques, the value of old Canadian dollar bills depends on condition and rarity. So, you'll want to ensure any Canadian dollar bills you have been yellowed, dog-eared, or torn.

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What is a 1960 Canadian silver dollar worth? ›

1960 $1 Dollar -Silver coins

	$1 Dollar -Silver	Value Range
$1 Dollar -Silver		Value Range
	1960 $1 MS	$20.63 - $325 $20.63 - $325
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