Canadian 1-dollar coin · 1949

Newfoundland joins Confederation

Thomas Shingles' design commemorates Newfoundland's status as a province of Canada. Pictured on the coin is the Matthew, the ship historians believe John Cabot was sailing when he landed in Newfoundland in 1497. Below the ship reads the Latin inscription "Floreat Terra Nova," meaning: "May the New Found Land Flourish."

What a coin with this design is made of

Every year of this design falls inside a period the Mint records as silver-bearing, so any circulated example carries silver. How much depends on the date, because the fineness changed within the run.

Across the years the Mint reports for this design, 672,218 1-dollar coins were struck.

Denomination

Canadian 1-dollar coin

Three different coins under one denomination: the large 80% silver dollar of 1935 to 1967, the pure nickel dollar of 1968 to 1986, and the loonie from 1987.

What these sell for

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Every year of this design

YearCompositionSilverMintage
194980% silver, 20% copper0.5993 ozt .800672,218

Other 1 dollar reverses

The design name, its period and the description above are reproduced from the Royal Canadian Mint’s reverse design notes for the 1-dollar 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.