1890 H Canadian 50 Cent Coin
The 1890 H Canadian 50 Cent is a Canadian 50 cent coin struck for circulation with 20,000 made. Value band: collector premium. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 1890
- Circulation mintage
- 20,000
- Value band
- Collector premium
- Composition
- Sterling silver (92.5% silver)
Original illustration of the coin's shape and metal. Tap to flip. Not a picture of the actual design.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is an 1890 H Canadian 50 Cent worth?
With 20,000 struck, the 1890 H Canadian 50 Cent ranks 2nd lowest of the 125 circulating Canadian 50 cent coins we track. Collectors pay a collector premium even for worn examples. Sharp, uncirculated coins with no marks bring considerably more.
What would make yours worth more:
- Sharp detail with original luster
- A recognized variety for the date
- Professional grading for a key date
For market prices, look at recent sold results for the same coin in the same condition, not asking prices.
Quick answers
- Is the 1890 H Canadian 50 Cent rare?
- Yes, by the standards of Canadian 50 cent coins. With 20,000 struck, the 1890 H Canadian 50 Cent ranks 2nd lowest of the 125 circulating Canadian 50 cent coins we track.
- How many 1890 H Canadian 50 cent coins were made?
- 20,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 1890 H Canadian 50 Cent made of?
- Sterling silver (92.5% silver). It weighs 11.62 g and measures 29.72 mm.
- Is the 1890 H Canadian 50 Cent still legal tender?
- Yes. Canadian 50 cent coins are legal tender, but a silver one is worth more for its metal than its face value.
The 1890 50 cent coin in context
The 1890-H is the rarest regular Victorian 50 cent piece. The Heaton mint in Birmingham struck just 20,000, the smallest figure of the reign and the last Heaton 50 cent order of Victoria's time. Among all published 50 cent figures only the 1932 is lower, while the 1921 survives in far smaller numbers. For a coin made to circulate, 20,000 is tiny. Most of them did circulate, too, for decades, which leaves very few in decent condition. Heaton's next 50 cent order would not come until 1903.
Collectors put the 1890-H at or near the top of the Victorian wish list, with the 1894 close behind. It came two years after the small 1888 order and two years before the 1892, so the early 1890s were a lean time for the denomination. Many collectors complete everything else in the reign long before they find an 1890-H they are happy with. Because of its reputation, it is also one of the dates most often faked or altered, which makes careful checking part of owning one. Few Canadian silver coins of the period carry its reputation.
How to recognize it
The design matches the rest of the reign: Victoria crowned and facing left inside VICTORIA DEI GRATIA REGINA CANADA, with 50 CENTS and the date in a maple wreath under a crown on the reverse. The small H sits at the bottom of the reverse. Check both the H and the 9 and 0 of the date. A worn 1880s date or a coin with an added H can be passed off as this one. Sterling silver, 11.62 g, puts about 0.35 troy ounces of pure silver in every genuine coin. It is about 29.7 mm across, with a reeded edge. Wear shows first on the hair and crown.
1890 H Canadian 50 Cent by the numbers
Measured by how many were made, the 1890 H Canadian 50 Cent ranks 2nd lowest of 125 Canadian 50 cent dates and varieties from 1870 to 2022. The next scarcer is the 1932 Canadian 50 Cent (19,213); the next more common is the 1894 Canadian 50 Cent (29,036).
For scale, the most common is the 2002 P Golden Jubilee Canadian 50 Cent with 14.4 million, about 722 times as many. The scarcest is the 1932 Canadian 50 Cent with 19,213.
Compared with the dates around it, the 1890 output was 3 times fewer than 1888 and 7.5 times fewer than 1892.
Over the 1890s the Mint produced 350,036 50 cent coins across 5 dates and varieties; the 1890 H Canadian 50 Cent accounts for 5.7% of that.
What to check on your 1890 H Canadian 50 Cent
- Check the date first: silver Canadian 50 cent coins carry dates from 1870 to 1967; this one has 0.3456 troy oz. Silver coins are not magnetic and ring clearly when dropped on a hard surface.
- Never clean it. Rubbing or polishing leaves fine scratches that collectors spot at once and that cut the value of silver dates sharply.
- Look at the high points of the portrait and the design. Wear there sets the grade. The grade in turn drives the value of older 50 cent coins.
The 1890-H is a significant rarity among Victorian 50 cent pieces and carries a strong collector premium even when worn smooth. Buy only coins that have been authenticated, or have yours checked by a grading service before you assume anything. Look for tooling around the date and mint mark, a sign of alteration. Problem free coins with honest wear are the ones collectors prize. Even a heavily worn 1890-H with a clear date and mint mark is a desirable coin for any Victorian set.
Victoria sterling 50 cents (1870 to 1901)
Canada's 50 cent piece begins in 1870, three years after Confederation, as the largest coin in the Dominion's first set of silver. American silver was circulating at a discount at the time, so the government shipped much of it out of the country and ordered its own 5, 10, 25 and 50 cent coins. Canada had no mint, so the work went to England. London struck most dates, while the private Heaton mint in Birmingham filled some orders and marked its coins with a small H. The obverse carries Leonard Charles Wyon's crowned portrait of Victoria inside VICTORIA DEI GRATIA REGINA CANADA. The reverse puts 50 CENTS and the date inside a maple wreath with a crown above.
Each coin is sterling silver, 92.5 percent pure, weighing 11.62 g and measuring about 29.7 mm. That works out to roughly 0.35 troy ounces of pure silver, a heavy coin for a pocket. Orders were small and irregular. Only thirteen date and mint combinations exist for the whole reign, with long gaps such as 1873 to 1880 and 1882 to 1887 when no 50 cents were struck at all. Published mintages run from 450,000 for 1870 down to 20,000 for 1890-H, with 1894 and 1871-H also below 50,000.
By modern standards every Victorian 50 cent piece is scarce and nearly all of them carry a collector premium, even when worn smooth. Read the date first, then check the bottom of the reverse for an H. The keys are 1890-H, 1894 and 1871-H, with 1888 and 1899 not far behind. Most survivors circulated for decades, so clear hair strands and visible leaf veins are rare at any date. On a key date, study the digits under magnification, because altered dates and copies exist.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 50 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Canadian Mint |
| Year | 1890 |
| Circulation mintage | 20,000 |
| Composition | Sterling silver (92.5% silver) |
| Weight | 11.62 g |
| Diameter | 29.72 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Reeded |
Frequently asked questions
How rare is the 1890-H 50 cent piece?
With a mintage of 20,000, it has the lowest figure of any Victorian 50 cent piece. Most were worn in circulation, so survivors in any grade are scarce and well made copies exist.
What should you check on a possible 1890-H?
Confirm the H at the bottom of the reverse and examine the 9 and 0 for signs of tooling. An authentication from a grading service is the safest step for a coin this important.
Mintage figures: 50-cent piece (Canadian coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Canadian Mint figures. How we build these pages.