Canadian 50-cent coin · 1959 - 1966, 1968 - present

The modified Coat of Arms

The Canadian Government approved a new Coat of Arms in 1957. In 1959 it appeared on the 50-cent coin, where it remains to this day.

What a coin with this design is made of

This design spans the change in metal. Of the 57 years the Mint reports it, 8 are silver-bearing and 49 are not, which means two coins with the same picture on the back can be entirely different things. The date is what separates them.

Across the years the Mint reports for this design, 129,136,167 50-cent coins were struck.

Denomination

Canadian 50-cent coin

Silver until 1967 and struck only in small numbers since. It is legal tender that almost never appears in change, so most surviving examples are in collections.

What these sell for

Sold listings

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Every year of this design

YearCompositionSilverMintage
195980% silver, 20% copper0.2999 ozt .8003,095,535
196080% silver, 20% copper0.2999 ozt .8003,488,897
196180% silver, 20% copper0.2999 ozt .8003,584,417
196280% silver, 20% copper0.2999 ozt .8005,208,030
196380% silver, 20% copper0.2999 ozt .8008,348,871
196480% silver, 20% copper0.2999 ozt .8009,377,676
196580% silver, 20% copper0.2999 ozt .80012,629,974
196680% silver, 20% copper0.2999 ozt .8007,683,228
196899% nickel (minimum)none3,966,932
196999% nickel (minimum)none7,113,929
197099% nickel (minimum)none2,429,516
197199% nickel (minimum)none2,166,144
197299% nickel (minimum)none2,515,632
197399% nickel (minimum)none2,546,096
197499% nickel (minimum)none3,436,650
197599% nickel (minimum)none3,710,000
197699% nickel (minimum)none2,646,000
197799% nickel (minimum)none709,939
197899% nickel (minimum)none3,341,892
197999% nickel (minimum)none3,425,000
198099% nickel (minimum)none1,943,155
198199% nickel (minimum)none2,588,900
198299% nickel (minimum)none2,884,572
198399% nickel (minimum)none1,177,000
198499% nickel (minimum)none1,502,989
198599% nickel (minimum)none2,188,374
198699% nickel (minimum)none781,400
198799% nickel (minimum)none373,000
198899% nickel (minimum)none220,000
198999% nickel (minimum)none266,419
199099% nickel (minimum)none207,000
199199% nickel (minimum)none490,000
199299% nickel (minimum)none248,000
199399% nickel (minimum)none393,000
199499% nickel (minimum)none987,000
199599% nickel (minimum)none626,000
199699% nickel (minimum)none458,000
199799% nickel (minimum)none387,000
199899% nickel (minimum)none308,000
199999% nickel (minimum)none496,000
200093.15% steel, 4.75% copper, 2.1% nickel platingnone559,000
200193.15% steel, 4.75% copper, 2.1% nickel platingnone403,000
200293.15% steel, 4.75% copper, 2.1% nickel platingnone14,440,000
200393.15% steel, 4.75% copper, 2.1% nickel platingnonenone struck
200493.15% steel, 4.75% copper, 2.1% nickel platingnonenone struck
200593.15% steel, 4.75% copper, 2.1% nickel platingnone200,000
200693.15% steel, 4.75% copper, 2.1% nickel platingnone98,000
200793.15% steel, 4.75% copper, 2.1% nickel platingnone250,000
200893.15% steel, 4.75% copper, 2.1% nickel platingnone211,000
200993.15% steel, 4.75% copper, 2.1% nickel platingnone150,000
201093.15% steel, 4.75% copper, 2.1% nickel platingnone150,000
201193.15% steel, 4.75% copper, 2.1% nickel platingnone175,000
201293.15% steel, 4.75% copper, 2.1% nickel platingnone250,000
201393.15% steel, 4.75% copper, 2.1% nickel platingnone375,000
201493.15% steel, 4.75% copper, 2.1% nickel platingnone500,000
201593.15% steel, 4.75% copper, 2.1% nickel platingnone625,000
201693.15% steel, 4.75% copper, 2.1% nickel platingnone800,000

Other 50 cents reverses

The design name, its period and the description above are reproduced from the Royal Canadian Mint’s reverse design notes for the 50-cent coin, retrieved 2026-09-04. Compositions and mintages come from the same page. This site publishes no variety, grade or catalogue distinctions, because those are not in the Mint’s record. Methodology.