1971 Canadian Dime

Quick answers

Is the 1971 Canadian Dime rare?

No. 41 million were made, so circulated examples are worth face value.

How many 1971 Canadian dimes were made?

41,016,968 were struck for circulation.

What is the 1971 Canadian Dime made of?

Nickel (99.9%). It weighs 2.07 g and measures 18.03 mm.

Is the 1971 Canadian Dime still legal tender?

Yes. Canadian dimes are legal tender.

How to recognize it

The 1971 Canadian Dime is round, 18.03 mm across and nickel (99.9%).

1971 Canadian Dime by the numbers

Measured by how many were made, the 1971 Canadian Dime ranks 91st lowest of 157 Canadian dime dates and varieties from 1858 to 2024. The next scarcer is the 1966 Canadian Dime (34.6 million); the next more common is the 1962 Canadian Dime (41.9 million).

For scale, the most common is the 2008 Canadian Dime with 467.5 million, about 11 times as many. The scarcest is the 1884 Canadian Dime with 150,000, 273 times fewer than this one.

Compared with the dates around it, the 1971 output was 7.8 times the 1970 figure and 1.5 times fewer than 1972.

Over the 1970s the Mint produced 1.31 billion dimes across 10 dates and varieties; the 1971 Canadian Dime accounts for 3.1% of that.

What to check on your 1971 Canadian Dime

• Try a magnet. Nickel (99.9%) is magnetic, so a genuine 1971 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 dimes only interest collectors in uncirculated condition or with a recognized variety.

Nickel Bluenose dimes (1969 to 1989)

From 1969 the dime settled into its long nickel era. The coin is pure nickel, weighing 2.07 g at the same 18 mm diameter, with a reeded edge. Machin's portrait of the queen wearing a tiara stayed on the obverse with ELIZABETH II D·G·REGINA. In 1969 the Bluenose on the reverse was re-engraved as a smaller ship, the version that would carry on for decades. Nickel was hard wearing, white like silver and mined in large quantities in Canada, so it was a natural replacement.

Mintages show how much the economy depended on small change. After a big 1969 there was a sudden dip to 5,249,296 in 1970, then production climbed to 167,715,435 in 1973 and passed 200 million in 1974 and 1975. The 1979 total of 237,321,321 was the highest of the reign so far. Through the 1980s output stayed between about 93 and 200 million a year, with 1982 the low point at 93,475,000.

Apart from 1970 these are face value coins and they still turn up in change. A magnet confirms the metal: every nickel dime is attracted to it. Look for bright, unworn coins from rolls or mint sets if you are building a date run, since circulated nickel dimes tend to look dull and scratched. The 1969 also has a rare large date variety struck from the older, larger design, so a 1969 with a noticeably big date deserves a closer look.

Mintage chart

Specifications