1937 Canadian 50 Cent Coin
The 1937 Canadian 50 Cent is a Canadian 50 cent coin struck for circulation with 192,016 made. Value band: collector premium. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 1937
- Circulation mintage
- 192,016
- 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 1937 Canadian 50 Cent worth?
With 192,016 struck, the 1937 Canadian 50 Cent ranks 28th 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 1937 Canadian 50 Cent rare?
- Yes, by the standards of Canadian 50 cent coins. With 192,016 struck, the 1937 Canadian 50 Cent ranks 28th lowest of the 125 circulating Canadian 50 cent coins we track.
- How many 1937 Canadian 50 cent coins were made?
- 192,016 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 1937 Canadian 50 Cent made of?
- 80% silver, 20% copper. It weighs 11.66 g and measures 29.72 mm.
- Is the 1937 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 1937 50 cent coin in context
The 1937 50 cent piece marks the biggest design change since the denomination began. George VI came to the throne after his brother Edward VIII abdicated in December 1936 and Canada used the new reign to modernize its coins. The maple wreath and crown that had framed the value since 1870 gave way to the coat of arms of Canada. The mint struck 192,016 in the first year of the new design. The coronation of George VI took place in London in May 1937.
That figure was a big step up from the Depression runs of the early 1930s, about five times the 38,550 of 1936. It was matched almost exactly in 1938, at 192,018. The 1937 is the first year of a type that lasted, in its large form, until 1958. Collectors want it both as a first year coin and as a better date of the pre war George VI years. Most survivors circulated and coins with crisp detail in the arms are the ones collectors look for. It is a natural starting point for a George VI set.
How to recognize it
Thomas Humphrey Paget's bare headed portrait of George VI faces left inside GEORGIVS VI D:G: REX ET IND: IMP:. The reverse, designed by George Kruger Gray, shows the coat of arms of Canada, with the shield held by a lion and a unicorn beneath a crown, along with CANADA, 50 CENTS and 1937. The metal stayed 80 percent silver: 11.66 g and about 29.7 mm, with roughly 0.30 troy ounces of pure silver. Wear shows first on the king's hair above the ear and on the crown at the top of the arms. The king's portrait has no crown, a break from the crowned portraits of earlier reigns.
1937 Canadian 50 Cent by the numbers
In mintage terms the 1937 Canadian 50 Cent ranks 28th lowest of 125 Canadian 50 cent dates and varieties from 1870 to 2022. The next scarcer is the 2011 Canadian 50 Cent (175,000); the next more common is the 1938 Canadian 50 Cent (192,018).
For scale, the most common is the 2002 P Golden Jubilee Canadian 50 Cent with 14.4 million, about 75 times as many. The scarcest is the 1932 Canadian 50 Cent with 19,213, 10 times fewer than this one.
Compared with the dates around it, the 1937 output was 5 times the 1936 figure and about the same as 1938.
Over the 1930s the Mint produced 826,893 50 cent coins across 7 dates and varieties; the 1937 Canadian 50 Cent accounts for 23% of that.
What to check on your 1937 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 1937 carries a collector premium in every grade as a first year type and a pre war date. Coins with sharp detail on the lion and unicorn are especially appealing. Natural tone is common on coins saved at the time. Avoid cleaned or damaged pieces, which are plentiful. Because the 1937 and 1938 have almost the same mintage, they are often collected together. Both are scarcer than the wartime dates of the early 1940s, which were struck in the millions. A first year coin in sharp condition is a good find.
George VI coat of arms 50 cents (1937 to 1952)
The coins of 1937 gave Canada a new look. The 50 cent piece dropped the maple wreath for the coat of arms of Canada, designed by George Kruger Gray, with the date and 50 CENTS around it. The obverse carries Thomas Humphrey Paget's bare headed portrait of George VI facing left with GEORGIVS VI D:G: REX ET IND: IMP:. The metal stayed at 80 percent silver, 11.66 g, with about 0.30 troy ounces of pure silver.
Mintages were modest before the war, at 192,016 in 1937 and 192,018 in 1938. The Second World War changed that, with nearly two million in 1940 and 3,109,583 in 1943. India's independence in 1947 then forced a new legend, because the king was no longer Emperor of India. The new dies were not ready at the start of 1948, so the mint struck more coins from its 1947 dies and added a small maple leaf after the date. Only 38,433 of those maple leaf 50 cent pieces were made, followed by just 37,784 coins dated 1948 with the new legend GEORGIVS VI DEI GRATIA REX.
The keys of the reign are the 1947 maple leaf and the 1948, both with a collector premium in every grade. The 1937 to 1939 coins are scarcer than the wartime dates and collectors also chase die varieties such as the hoof in the 6 on some 1946 coins. Read the legend against the date: ET IND: IMP: belongs on coins dated 1947 or earlier. George VI died in February 1952, but 1952 coins still show him. Wear shows on the king's hair above the ear and on the crown and lion in the arms.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 50 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Canadian Mint |
| Year | 1937 |
| Circulation mintage | 192,016 |
| Composition | 80% silver, 20% copper |
| Weight | 11.66 g |
| Diameter | 29.72 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Reeded |
Frequently asked questions
What changed on the 1937 50 cent piece?
Both sides. George VI's portrait by T. H. Paget replaced George V and the maple wreath reverse was replaced by the coat of arms of Canada, designed by George Kruger Gray.
Are there Edward VIII Canadian 50 cent pieces?
No. Edward VIII abdicated in December 1936 before any Canadian coins with his portrait were issued. The 1936 coins show George V and the 1937 coins show George VI. He is the only monarch of the period missing from the series.
Mintage figures: 50-cent piece (Canadian coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Canadian Mint figures. How we build these pages.