Canadian 1-dollar coin · George VI
1949 Canadian 1 dollar
A 1949 Canadian 1-dollar coin contains 0.5993 troy ounces of silver.
Silver value, Canadian dollars
0.5993 troy ounces at US$64.62 per ounce, converted at 1.3866 (Bank of Canada, 2026-09-11). 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, 1949
That is the 16th 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
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."
The rest of your 1949 change
Nobody inherits one denomination. If there is a 1949 1-dollar coin in the tin, these are the other coins carrying that date and whether they hold any silver.
| Denomination | Composition in 1949 | Silver | Mintage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cent penny | 98% copper, 0.5% tin, 1.5% zinc | none | 33,128,933 |
| 5 cents nickel | 99.9% nickel | none | 13,736,276 |
| 10 cents dime | 80% silver, 20% copper | 0.0599 ozt | 11,336,172 |
| 25 cents quarter | 80% silver, 20% copper | 0.1500 ozt | 7,988,830 |
| 50 cents half dollar | 80% silver, 20% copper | 0.2999 ozt | 858,991 |