Canadian 1-dollar coin · George VI
1938 Canadian 1 dollar
A 1938 Canadian 1-dollar coin contains 0.5993 troy ounces of silver.
Silver value, Canadian dollars
0.5993 troy ounces at US$63.42 per ounce, converted at 1.3909 (Bank of Canada, 2026-09-14). At last page build
What the Mint says it is made of
| Period | Composition | Weight | Silver | Diameter | Magnet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 - 1967 | 80% silver, 20% copper | 23.3 g | 0.5993 ozt | 36.06 mm | not attracted |
How many were struck
Reported mintage, 1938
That is the 4th lowest of the 80 years in which the Mint reports striking a 1-dollar coin, in a range running from 18,780 to 205,405,000. 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
1935 - 1938, 1940 - 1948, 1950 - 1957, 1959 - 1963, 1965 - 1966, 1968 - 1969, and 1975 - 1986
This design by Emanuel Hahn features a voyageur and his Indigenous guide travelling by canoe. The illustration has been modified only slightly over the years. | |
The rest of your 1938 change
Nobody inherits one denomination. If there is a 1938 1-dollar coin in the tin, these are the other coins carrying that date and whether they hold any silver.
| Denomination | Composition in 1938 | Silver | Mintage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cent penny | 95.5% copper, 3% tin, 1.5% zinc | none | 18,365,608 |
| 5 cents nickel | 99% nickel | none | 3,898,974 |
| 10 cents dime | 80% silver, 20% copper | 0.0599 ozt | 4,197,323 |
| 25 cents quarter | 80% silver, 20% copper | 0.1500 ozt | 3,149,245 |
| 50 cents half dollar | 80% silver, 20% copper | 0.2999 ozt | 192,018 |