1981 Canadian 50 Cent Coin

Quick answers

Is the 1981 Canadian 50 Cent rare?

No. 2.69 million were made, so circulated examples are worth face value.

How many 1981 Canadian 50 cent coins were made?

2,690,272 were struck for circulation.

What is the 1981 Canadian 50 Cent made of?

Nickel (99.9%). It weighs 8.1 g and measures 27.13 mm.

Is the 1981 Canadian 50 Cent still legal tender?

Yes. Canadian 50 cent coins are legal tender.

How to recognize it

The 1981 Canadian 50 Cent is round, 27.13 mm across and nickel (99.9%).

1981 Canadian 50 Cent by the numbers

By the numbers, the 1981 Canadian 50 Cent ranks 106th lowest of 125 Canadian 50 cent dates and varieties from 1870 to 2022. The next scarcer is the 1952 Canadian 50 Cent (2.6 million); the next more common is the 1976 Canadian 50 Cent (2.94 million).

For scale, the most common is the 2002 P Golden Jubilee Canadian 50 Cent with 14.4 million, about 5.4 times as many. The scarcest is the 1932 Canadian 50 Cent with 19,213, 140 times fewer than this one.

Compared with the dates around it, the 1981 output was 1.7 times the 1980 figure and 1.2 times the 1982 figure.

Over the 1980s the Mint produced 13 million 50 cent coins across 10 dates and varieties; the 1981 Canadian 50 Cent accounts for 21% of that.

What to check on your 1981 Canadian 50 Cent

• Try a magnet. Nickel (99.9%) is magnetic, so a genuine 1981 coin sticks; a silver one would not.
• Never clean it. Rubbing or polishing leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
• Look for full luster and no scratches. Modern 50 cent coins only interest collectors in uncirculated condition or with a recognized variety.

Nickel 50 cents (1968 to 2000)

With silver too costly for circulating coins, the 50 cent piece switched to pure nickel in 1968 and shrank to 27.13 mm and 8.1 g. Nickel is hard, wears well and sticks to a magnet. The complete coat of arms returned on the reverse, scaled down to fit. Machin's portrait of the queen ran through 1989 and Dora de Pédery-Hunt's crowned portrait took over on coins dated 1990.

The 50 cent piece never became a popular coin in Canada. Most people paid with quarters and dollars, so after a peak of 7,113,929 in 1969 mintages settled at two to three million and then fell further. From 1987 the coin was struck in much smaller numbers, often under half a million a year. A few dates stand out: 1977 at 709,839, 1988 at 220,000 and 1990 at 207,000. The 1992 coins carry the double date 1867 and 1992 for the 125th anniversary of Confederation. In 1997 the reverse was updated to the revised arms, with the ribbon of the Order of Canada around the shield.

For most finders these are face value coins, but low mintage years from the late 1980s and 1990s draw a small premium in uncirculated condition, since many were made mainly for mint sets and rolls. Collectors also look for small die varieties noted in the data, such as square and round jewels in 1978 and small and large beads in 1982. Wear shows on the queen's hair and the fine lines of the arms. Coins with bright luster and few bag marks are the ones to keep.

Mintage chart

Specifications