Canadian 50-cent coin · George VI
1945 Canadian 50 cents (half dollar)
A 1945 Canadian 50-cent coin contains 0.2999 troy ounces of silver.
Silver value, Canadian dollars
0.2999 troy ounces at US$63.77 per ounce, converted at 1.3917 (Bank of Canada, 2026-09-15). At last page build
What the Mint says it is made of
| Period | Composition | Weight | Silver | Diameter | Magnet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 - 1967 | 80% silver, 20% copper | 11.66 g | 0.2999 ozt | 29.72 mm | not attracted |
How many were struck
Reported mintage, 1945
That is the 63rd lowest of the 96 years in which the Mint reports striking a 50-cent coin, in a range running from 19,213 to 14,440,000. Mintage is a count of coins made, not of coins that survive: the Mint has no way of knowing how many of these were later returned and melted, and for a silver denomination in the 1960s that number is large.
Portrait on the obverse
George VI
His Majesty King Charles III’s grandfather appeared in effigy on Canadian coins until his daughter’s Coronation in 1952. Until 1947, the inscription accompanying his image read GEORGIVS VI D:G:REX ET IND:IMP or GEORGIVS VI DEI GRA REX ET IND:IMP (depending on the denomination). After India became independent in 1947, the ET IND:IMP, which meant “George VI, Emperor of India,” was discontinued.
What one actually sells for
This site publishes no catalogue values, because those belong to Charlton and the grading services and we have no licence to them. Completed sales are the honest substitute.
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The design on the reverse
1937 - 1958
A simplified version of Canada's Coat of Arms was created in 1937 for the 50-cent coin as part of an initiative to modernize Canada's circulation coins.
The rest of your 1945 change
Nobody inherits one denomination. If there is a 1945 50-cent coin in the tin, these are the other coins carrying that date and whether they hold any silver.
| Denomination | Composition in 1945 | Silver | Mintage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cent penny | 98% copper, 0.5% tin, 1.5% zinc | none | 77,268,591 |
| 5 cents nickel | chrome plated steel | none | 18,893,216 |
| 10 cents dime | 80% silver, 20% copper | 0.0599 ozt | 10,979,570 |
| 25 cents quarter | 80% silver, 20% copper | 0.1500 ozt | 5,296,495 |
| 1 dollar | 80% silver, 20% copper | 0.5993 ozt | 38,391 |