1929 Canadian 50 Cent Coin
The 1929 Canadian 50 Cent is a Canadian 50 cent coin struck for circulation with 228,328 made. Value band: collector premium. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 1929
- Circulation mintage
- 228,328
- Value band
- Collector premium
- 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 1929 Canadian 50 Cent worth?
With 228,328 struck, the 1929 Canadian 50 Cent ranks 38th 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 1929 Canadian 50 Cent rare?
- Yes, by the standards of Canadian 50 cent coins. With 228,328 struck, the 1929 Canadian 50 Cent ranks 38th lowest of the 125 circulating Canadian 50 cent coins we track.
- How many 1929 Canadian 50 cent coins were made?
- 228,328 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 1929 Canadian 50 Cent made of?
- 80% silver, 20% copper. It weighs 11.66 g and measures 29.72 mm.
- Is the 1929 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 1929 50 cent coin in context
The 1929 is the coin that replaced the 1921. After seven years with no 50 cent pieces, demand finally recovered at the end of the 1920s. Rather than release the 1920 and 1921 coins still in storage, the mint melted most of them and struck new coins dated 1929. The mintage was 228,328, enough to meet the need before the Depression set in. It was the first new 50 cent date since 1921 and its silver was the familiar 80 percent alloy.
That background makes the 1929 more interesting than a typical date. Some of its silver may well have come from the melted 1921s, which gives it an indirect link to the rarest coin in the series. Among the 80 percent George V dates, only the 1920 has a larger mintage, yet the 1929 is far from common in strong grades. The next coins, dated 1931, came in a much smaller run as the Depression deepened. For anyone sorting old Canadian silver, the 1929 is a date to check closely, since it is the coin most often altered to look like a 1921.
How to recognize it
George V's crowned and robed bust by Mackennal faces left inside GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: REX ET IND: IMP:. The reverse shows 50 CENTS and 1929 within the maple wreath under a crown. The coin is 80 percent silver, 11.66 g, with about 0.30 troy ounces of pure silver. Its curved 9 and the slim 1 of a 1921 look nothing alike when the coin is sharp, but heavy wear can blur the final digit. Check it under magnification. The coin measures about 29.7 mm across and has no mint mark. Wear shows first on the crown jewels, the beard and the top of the wreath.
1929 Canadian 50 Cent by the numbers
Measured by how many were made, the 1929 Canadian 50 Cent ranks 38th lowest of 125 Canadian 50 cent dates and varieties from 1870 to 2022. The next scarcer is the 1988 Canadian 50 Cent (220,000); the next more common is the 2007 Canadian 50 Cent (250,000).
For scale, the most common is the 2002 P Golden Jubilee Canadian 50 Cent with 14.4 million, about 63 times as many. The scarcest is the 1932 Canadian 50 Cent with 19,213, 12 times fewer than this one.
Compared with the dates around it, the 1929 output was 1.1 times the 1921 figure and 4 times the 1931 figure.
Over the 1920s the Mint produced 1.02 million 50 cent coins across 3 dates and varieties; the 1929 Canadian 50 Cent accounts for 22% of that.
What to check on your 1929 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.
The 1929 carries a collector premium as a George V silver date and it is a sensible coin for a type set. Because of its role in altered 1921 coins, any 1929 with marks around the last digit deserves a close look. Coins with clear crown jewels and leaf veins draw stronger interest. Collectors prefer natural tone to a cleaned surface. It also suits anyone who wants a 50 cent piece connected to the story of the 1921 without the rarity. Look for an undamaged rim.
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 | 1929 |
| Circulation mintage | 228,328 |
| Composition | 80% silver, 20% copper |
| Weight | 11.66 g |
| Diameter | 29.72 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Reeded |
Frequently asked questions
Why were no 50 cent pieces made from 1922 to 1928?
Demand was low after the war and the mint already held large stocks of 1920 and 1921 coins. When orders returned, it melted those coins and struck new ones dated 1929.
Is the 1929 a rare date?
It is not a key. With 228,328 struck, it is second only to the 1920 among the 80 percent George V dates, but it still carries a collector premium in every grade.
Mintage figures: 50-cent piece (Canadian coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Canadian Mint figures. How we build these pages.