1997 Canadian Dime

Quick answers

Is the 1997 Canadian Dime rare?

No. 43.1 million were made, so circulated examples are worth face value.

How many 1997 Canadian dimes were made?

43,126,000 were struck for circulation.

What is the 1997 Canadian Dime made of?

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

Is the 1997 Canadian Dime still legal tender?

Yes. Canadian dimes are legal tender.

How to recognize it

The 1997 Canadian Dime is round, 18.03 mm across and nickel (99.9%).

1997 Canadian Dime by the numbers

In mintage terms the 1997 Canadian Dime ranks 94th lowest of 157 Canadian dime dates and varieties from 1858 to 2024. The next scarcer is the 1963 Canadian Dime (41.9 million); the next more common is the 2023 Canadian Dime (43.2 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, 288 times fewer than this one.

Compared with the dates around it, the 1997 output was 1.2 times fewer than 1996 and 4.7 times fewer than 1998.

Over the 1990s the Mint produced 1.25 billion dimes across 10 dates and varieties; the 1997 Canadian Dime accounts for 3.4% of that.

What to check on your 1997 Canadian Dime

• Try a magnet. Nickel (99.9%) is magnetic, so a genuine 1997 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.

Dora de Pédery-Hunt dimes (1990 to 2002)

In 1990 the Machin portrait gave way to one by Dora de Pédery-Hunt, the first Canadian artist to design the royal portrait on Canada's coins. She shows the queen wearing a crown, facing right, with ELIZABETH II D·G·REGINA. Hahn's Bluenose carried on unchanged on the reverse. Mintages swung widely through the decade, from 50,397,000 in 1991 to 258,462,000 in 1999, as demand rose and fell.

Nickel had become expensive and in the early 2000s the Royal Canadian Mint switched the dime to a cheaper multi-ply plated steel: a steel core with thin layers of plating that keep the familiar white look. The plated dime weighs 1.75 g, lighter than the 2.07 g nickel coin, at the same 18 mm. To tell the two apart the mint added a small P below the queen's portrait, for plated. The 2001 dimes also include a special design for the International Year of Volunteers, the first circulating commemorative dime since the 1967 mackerel.

Most dates here are face value coins, though 1996 and 1997, both under 52 million, are the scarcer ones in uncirculated condition. A magnet will not help with these, since nickel and plated steel are both attracted to it. Look for the P instead and on a 2001 check the reverse to see whether you have the schooner or the Volunteer design. Bright coins from mint sets are the ones worth keeping.

Mintage chart

Specifications