1921 Canadian 50 Cent Coin
The 1921 Canadian 50 Cent is a Canadian 50 cent coin struck for circulation with 206,398 made. Value band: significant rarity. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 1921
- Circulation mintage
- 206,398
- Value band
- Significant rarity
- Composition
- 80% silver, 20% copper
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 a 1921 Canadian 50 Cent worth?
Almost all 1921 50 cent pieces were melted at the Mint before release; only 75 to 100 are believed to survive. That makes the 1921 Canadian 50 Cent a significant rarity by any standard. Genuine examples are worth far more than their metal. Any coin offered as one should be authenticated and graded by a professional service before money changes hands.
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 1921 Canadian 50 Cent rare?
- Yes, by the standards of Canadian 50 cent coins. Almost all 1921 50 cent pieces were melted at the Mint before release; only 75 to 100 are believed to survive.
- How many 1921 Canadian 50 cent coins were made?
- 206,398 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 1921 Canadian 50 Cent made of?
- 80% silver, 20% copper. It weighs 11.66 g and measures 29.72 mm.
- Is the 1921 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 1921 50 cent coin in context
The 1921 50 cent piece is the king of Canadian coins. The Ottawa mint struck the year's coins in the usual way, but the postwar slump had cut demand and banks were still well supplied. Most of the new 50 cent pieces never left the mint. By 1929, when the country needed more of them, the mint chose to melt its stock of 1920 and 1921 coins and strike fresh ones dated 1929 rather than release coins with old dates. Almost the entire 1921 issue went into the melting pot.
Only 75 to 100 are known today. The survivors are thought to come mainly from coins that left the mint before the melt, including some sold to collectors and visitors at the time. With no reliable mintage that reflects what actually reached the public, the data shows no figure for 1921 at all. The 1921 silver five cent piece went through a similar melt and is sometimes called the prince of Canadian coins, but the 50 cent piece is the bigger name. For many collectors it is the coin that defines the top of Canadian numismatics.
How to recognize it
The obverse shows Mackennal's crowned and robed George V facing left with GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: REX ET IND: IMP:. The reverse has 50 CENTS and 1921 inside the maple wreath under a crown. The coin is 80 percent silver, 11.66 g and about 29.7 mm, the same as a 1920 or a 1929. Because the design is identical to those dates, the last digit is everything. A genuine 1921 has a slim, upright 1 that matches the first 1 in the date in style. The coin has no mint mark. Wear shows first on the crown and beard, so a genuine 1921 can still have a clear date on a worn coin.
1921 Canadian 50 Cent by the numbers
By the numbers, the 1921 Canadian 50 Cent ranks 33rd lowest of 125 Canadian 50 cent dates and varieties from 1870 to 2022. The next scarcer is the 1909 Canadian 50 Cent (203,118); the next more common is the 1990 Canadian 50 Cent (207,000).
For scale, the most common is the 2002 P Golden Jubilee Canadian 50 Cent with 14.4 million, about 70 times as many. The scarcest is the 1932 Canadian 50 Cent with 19,213, 11 times fewer than this one.
Compared with the dates around it, the 1921 output was 2.8 times fewer than 1920 and 1.1 times fewer than 1929.
Over the 1920s the Mint produced 1.02 million 50 cent coins across 3 dates and varieties; the 1921 Canadian 50 Cent accounts for 20% of that.
What to check on your 1921 Canadian 50 Cent
- Check the date first: silver Canadian 50 cent coins carry dates from 1870 to 1967; this one has 0.3 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.
A genuine 1921 is a significant rarity in any condition, one of the most important coins in Canada. Altered dates, usually made from a 1920 or 1929, are well known. So are cast and struck copies. If you think you have one, do not clean it and do not handle it more than you must. Have it authenticated by a reputable grading service before anything else. Even a worn genuine 1921 is a major find. Keep a record of where the coin came from, since its history can matter to buyers and graders.
George V 80 percent silver 50 cents (1920 to 1936)
Silver prices rose after the First World War and in 1920 Canada lowered the fineness of its silver coins from sterling to 80 percent. The 50 cent piece became 11.66 g of .800 silver at the same 29.7 mm or so, holding about 0.30 troy ounces of pure silver. Nothing on the coin announces the change. Mackennal's portrait and the maple wreath carried on, so the date is the only way to tell a 1919 from a 1920 by eye.
Then demand collapsed. The mint struck coins dated 1921, but banks were well stocked after the war and the new 50 cent pieces sat in storage. None are dated 1922 to 1928. When demand came back in 1929, the mint melted most of the 1920 and 1921 coins it still held rather than release old dates. Almost every 1921 disappeared and only 75 to 100 are known today. The Depression kept later runs tiny: 57,581 in 1931, 19,213 in 1932, 39,539 in 1934 and 38,550 in 1936, with no coins at all for 1930, 1933 or 1935. In December 1931 the Ottawa branch became the Royal Canadian Mint, though the coins look the same.
This is the group where Canadian 50 cent collecting gets serious. The 1921 is the king of Canadian coins and a significant rarity, while 1932, 1934, 1936 and 1931 are all key dates with a collector premium in any condition. The 1920 and 1929 are the more available pair. Check the last digit of the date carefully, since a worn 1929 or 1920 should never be mistaken for a 1921. Be wary of altered dates too. Wear hits the crown, the beard and the high points of the wreath first.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 50 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Canadian Mint |
| Year | 1921 |
| Circulation mintage | 206,398 |
| Composition | 80% silver, 20% copper |
| Weight | 11.66 g |
| Diameter | 29.72 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Reeded |
Frequently asked questions
Why is the 1921 50 cent piece so rare?
Low demand left most of the 1921 coins at the mint. In 1929 the mint melted its stored 1920 and 1921 coins to make new ones dated 1929, so only 75 to 100 of the 1921s are known today.
What should you do if you think you have found a 1921 50 cents?
Check the last digit carefully under magnification, since altered 1920 and 1929 coins exist. Leave the coin uncleaned and send it to a reputable grading service for authentication before showing or offering it to anyone.
Mintage figures: 50-cent piece (Canadian coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Canadian Mint figures. How we build these pages.