1933 Canadian Dime
The 1933 Canadian Dime is a Canadian dime struck for circulation with 672,368 made. Value band: small premium. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 1933
- Circulation mintage
- 672,368
- Value band
- Small 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 1933 Canadian Dime worth?
At 672,368, the 1933 Canadian Dime has a smaller run than most Canadian dimes, so collectors pay a small premium for it, especially in uncirculated condition. Well circulated examples sit close to face value.
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 1933 Canadian Dime rare?
- It is scarcer than most Canadian dimes. Collectors pay a small premium for good examples.
- How many 1933 Canadian dimes were made?
- 672,368 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 1933 Canadian Dime made of?
- 80% silver, 20% copper. It weighs 2.33 g and measures 18.03 mm.
- Is the 1933 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.
The 1933 dime in context
The Depression hit Canada hard and the dime mintages show it. From 3,253,888 in 1929, production fell to 1,831,043 in 1930, recovered a little in 1931 and then dropped to 1,154,317 in 1932. In 1933 the Ottawa mint struck just 672,368 dimes, the lowest figure since 1903. Unemployment was high, trade had collapsed and people had less money to spend, so the need for new coins fell away.
The 1933 is the first of three low mintage Depression dates, followed by 1934 and 1935, which were lower still. Collectors often think of the three together as the hard dates of the later George V dimes. Of the three, 1933 has the highest mintage, but that is a relative measure: it is still scarce compared with almost any other date of the reign. Most surviving examples are worn, since few people could afford to put dimes aside during the Depression. Those that survive in good condition are popular and harder to find than the mintage suggests. It is one of the dates that collectors look for first.
How to recognize it
The obverse shows Mackennal's crowned and robed bust of George V facing left, with GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: REX ET IND: IMP:. The reverse carries 10 CENTS and 1933 inside a crowned wreath of maple leaves. The coin is 80 percent silver at about 2.33 g and 18 mm with a reeded edge, so roughly 0.06 troy oz of silver. Read the date carefully on worn coins, since a 3 can look like an 8. The crown and the king's ear lose detail first, so those areas tell you how much wear a coin has seen. As an Ottawa coin, it has no mint mark.
1933 Canadian Dime by the numbers
By the numbers, the 1933 Canadian Dime ranks 17th lowest of 157 Canadian dime dates and varieties from 1858 to 2024. The next scarcer is the 1896 Canadian Dime (650,000); the next more common is the 1915 Canadian Dime (688,057).
For scale, the most common is the 2008 Canadian Dime with 467.5 million, about 695 times as many. The scarcest is the 1884 Canadian Dime with 150,000, 4.5 times fewer than this one.
Compared with the dates around it, the 1933 output was 1.7 times fewer than 1932 and 1.6 times the 1934 figure.
Over the 1930s the Mint produced 21.2 million dimes across 10 dates and varieties; the 1933 Canadian Dime accounts for 3.2% of that.
What to check on your 1933 Canadian Dime
- Check the date first: silver Canadian dimes carry dates from 1858 to 1968; this one has 0.0599 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.
The 1933 carries a collector premium in any grade and a stronger one in better condition. It is one of the scarcer George V dates, though less so than 1934 and 1935. Look for sharp leaf detail and a clear date. Collectors often try to find all three Depression dates in matching condition, which keeps demand steady for this one. Original surfaces matter: a coin with natural toning and no cleaning will always appeal more than a bright, polished one. Check the edges for dents as well.
George V 80% silver dimes (1920 to 1936)
Silver prices rose sharply during and after the First World War and in 1920 Canada lowered the fineness of its silver coins from 92.5 to 80 percent. The dime kept its size and weight of about 2.33 g, so the only change was less silver: roughly 0.06 troy oz per coin. Then the demand for change collapsed in the slump that followed the war. After 1921 no dimes were struck at all until 1928, a gap of six years.
The design did not change. Mackennal's crowned bust of George V faces left with GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: REX ET IND: IMP:, while the reverse has 10 CENTS and the date inside a crowned wreath of maple leaves. Production restarted in 1928 at a little under 2.5 million and then fell away as the Depression took hold, to 672,368 in 1933, 409,067 in 1934 and just 384,056 in 1935, the lowest dime mintage of the twentieth century. George V died in January 1936 but 1936 dimes still carry his portrait.
For collectors the period is about the Depression dates. The 1934 and 1935 are the ones to look for and are hard to find in better grades, with 1933 not far behind. Wear shows first on the crown and the king's ear, then on the leaf veins. A small raised dot below the wreath on a 1936 dime marks one of the rarest Canadian coins, struck in 1937 while new dies were prepared, though only a handful are known.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 10 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Canadian Mint |
| Year | 1933 |
| Circulation mintage | 672,368 |
| Composition | 80% silver, 20% copper |
| Weight | 2.33 g |
| Diameter | 18.03 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Reeded |
Frequently asked questions
Why were so few dimes made in 1933?
The Depression reduced spending and the demand for new coins. The Ottawa mint struck only 672,368 dimes in 1933, down from more than three million in 1929. Spending fell sharply in those years.
Is the 1933 the rarest of the Depression dimes?
No. The 1934 and 1935 have even lower mintages, 409,067 and 384,056. The 1933 is still scarce for the period and carries a collector premium. It is the easiest of the three.
Mintage figures: Dime (Canadian coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Canadian Mint figures. How we build these pages.