1916 Canadian Dime

Quick answers

Is the 1916 Canadian Dime rare?

Not by mintage. 4.22 million were made, but it is silver, so even worn examples are worth their metal value rather than face value.

How many 1916 Canadian dimes were made?

4,218,114 were struck for circulation.

What is the 1916 Canadian Dime made of?

Sterling silver (92.5% silver). It weighs 2.33 g and measures 18.03 mm.

Is the 1916 Canadian Dime still legal tender?

Yes. Canadian dimes are legal tender, but a silver one is worth more for its metal than its face value.

How to recognize it

The 1916 Canadian Dime is round, 18.03 mm across and sterling silver (92.5% silver).

1916 Canadian Dime by the numbers

In mintage terms the 1916 Canadian Dime ranks 58th lowest of 157 Canadian dime dates and varieties from 1858 to 2024. The next scarcer is the 1938 Canadian Dime (4.2 million); the next more common is the 1947 Canadian Dime (4.43 million).

For scale, the most common is the 2008 Canadian Dime with 467.5 million, about 111 times as many. The scarcest is the 1884 Canadian Dime with 150,000, 28 times fewer than this one.

Compared with the dates around it, the 1916 output was 6.1 times the 1915 figure and 1.2 times fewer than 1917.

Over the 1910s the Mint produced 39.5 million dimes across 10 dates and varieties; the 1916 Canadian Dime accounts for 11% of that.

What to check on your 1916 Canadian Dime

• Check the date first: silver Canadian dimes carry dates from 1858 to 1968; this one has 0.0693 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 dimes.

George V sterling dimes (1911 to 1919)

George V succeeded his father in May 1910 and his first Canadian coins are dated 1911. Bertram Mackennal modeled the crowned and robed bust, which faces left. The 1911 legend, GEORGIVS V REX ET IND: IMP:, left out DEI GRA:, the words for by the grace of God and the public reaction was loud enough that the dies were changed. From 1912 the legend reads GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: REX ET IND: IMP:. The 1911 coins are still known as the Godless issue.

The reverse kept 10 CENTS and the date inside a crowned maple wreath. In 1913 two versions of the wreath were used, one with small leaves and one with broader large leaves; the large leaves dimes are much the scarcer. The dime was still sterling silver, about 2.33 g and 18 mm, all struck in Ottawa. Mintages fell to 688,057 in 1915 and then soared during the First World War, as wages and prices rose and people needed more change. By 1919 the Ottawa mint struck 7,877,722 dimes, a record that stood until 1940.

These are the last sterling silver dimes Canada made, each with a little under 0.07 troy oz of pure silver. Most are worn, so look at the crown and the jewels on the king's robe for remaining detail. Check 1913 dimes closely against pictures of the two leaf styles, since the large leaves version is a genuine rarity. The 1911 is popular as a one year legend and the 1915 is the low mintage date of the period.

Mintage chart

Specifications