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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 fifty cents. Most times, when a fifty-cent piece is presented in a transaction, it winds up being hoarded by the person receiving it. Quite commonly, even bank tellers, upon being presented with fifty-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 fifty-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 Queen 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] possibly an acknowledgement that the coin is minted primarily for collectors rather than circulation.
History of composition [1]
| 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 |
| 1937–1967 |
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 |
[2]
1921 fifty cents
During the early to mid-1920s, demand for fifty-cent pieces was very light. 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.[3] This coin is valued at over $125,000 in pristine condition.[4]
Special editions
- 1967: Canadian centennial. All coins had unique reverses. The 50¢ coin had a wolf.
- 2002: 50th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne
First strikes
| Year |
Theme |
Mintage |
Issue price |
| 2005 |
Coat of arms |
2,298 |
$14.95 |
| 2006 |
New mint mark |
5,000 |
$29.95 |
References
- ^ Royal Canadian Mint http://www.mint.ca/royalcanadianmintpublic/repository/HTMLCategory.aspx?cat=Products_CirculationCurrency&Language=en-CA http://www.mint.ca/royalcanadianmintpublic/repository/htmlproduct.aspx?sku=9943047&language=en-CA
- ^ Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian Coins, 60th Anniversary Edition, W.K. Cross, Editor, pp. 139-153, ISBN 0-88968-297-6, The Charlton Press, Toronto
- ^ Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian Coins, 60th Anniversary Edition, W.K. Cross, Editor, p. 143, ISBN 0-88968-297-6, The Charlton Press, Toronto
- ^ Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian Coins, 60th Anniversary Edition, W.K. Cross, Editor, p. 144, ISBN 0-88968-297-6, The Charlton Press, Toronto
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