1870 Canadian 50 Cent Coin
The 1870 Canadian 50 Cent is a Canadian 50 cent coin struck for circulation with 450,000 made. Value band: small premium. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 1870
- Circulation mintage
- 450,000
- Value band
- Small premium
- Composition
- Sterling silver (92.5% silver)
Original illustration of the coin's shape and metal. Tap to flip. Not a picture of the actual design.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is an 1870 Canadian 50 Cent worth?
At 450,000, the 1870 Canadian 50 Cent has a smaller run than most Canadian 50 cent coins, so collectors pay a small premium for it, especially in uncirculated condition. Well circulated examples sit close to face value.
What would make yours worth more:
- Sharp detail with original luster
- A recognized variety for the date
- Professional grading for a key date
For market prices, look at recent sold results for the same coin in the same condition, not asking prices.
Quick answers
- Is the 1870 Canadian 50 Cent rare?
- It is scarcer than most Canadian 50 cent coins. Collectors pay a small premium for good examples.
- How many 1870 Canadian 50 cent coins were made?
- 450,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 1870 Canadian 50 Cent made of?
- Sterling silver (92.5% silver). It weighs 11.62 g and measures 29.72 mm.
- Is the 1870 Canadian 50 Cent still legal tender?
- Yes. Canadian 50 cent coins are legal tender, but a silver one is worth more for its metal than its face value.
The 1870 50 cent coin in context
The 1870 is where Canada's own 50 cent piece begins. After Confederation the new Dominion's change was full of American silver, which banks and merchants would take only at a discount. In 1870 the government moved to export much of that silver. The Royal Mint in London then struck the first Canadian 5, 10, 25 and 50 cent pieces to take its place. The published figure for the year is 450,000, the largest of Victoria's reign for this denomination by a wide margin.
Collectors divide the 1870 coins into two types by a tiny detail on the obverse. The earliest dies left the truncation of the queen's bust plain. Later dies added the initials L.C.W., for the engraver Leonard Charles Wyon. The 450,000 figure is the total for the year and no reliable split between the two has been published. The coin without initials is generally treated as the scarcer of the pair, especially in the better grades, so it is the one to check for first whenever an 1870 turns up.
How to recognize it
Look at the bottom edge of Victoria's neck, where the bust is cut off. On this type it is plain, with no letters. The crowned queen faces left inside VICTORIA DEI GRATIA REGINA CANADA. The reverse has 50 CENTS and 1870 inside a wreath of maple leaves tied at the bottom, with a crown above. There is no mint mark, because every 1870 came from London. The coin is sterling silver, 11.62 g and about 29.7 mm across, holding roughly 0.35 troy ounces of pure silver. The truncation is a high point and softens early, so use a loupe and good light before deciding the initials are missing.
1870 Canadian 50 Cent by the numbers
By the numbers, the 1870 Canadian 50 Cent ranks 57th lowest of 125 Canadian 50 cent dates and varieties from 1870 to 2022. The next scarcer is the 1992 Canadian 50 Cent (445,000); the next more common is the 1870 LCW Canadian 50 Cent (450,000).
For scale, the most common is the 2002 P Golden Jubilee Canadian 50 Cent with 14.4 million, about 32 times as many. The scarcest is the 1932 Canadian 50 Cent with 19,213, 23 times fewer than this one.
Compared with the dates around it, the 1870 output was 2.3 times the 1871 figure. Other 1870 50 cent coins: 1870 LCW Canadian 50 Cent.
Over the 1870s the Mint produced 1.23 million 50 cent coins across 5 dates and varieties; the 1870 Canadian 50 Cent accounts for 37% of that.
What to check on your 1870 Canadian 50 Cent
- Check the date first: silver Canadian 50 cent coins carry dates from 1870 to 1967; this one has 0.3456 troy oz. Silver coins are not magnetic and ring clearly when dropped on a hard surface.
- Never clean it. Rubbing or polishing leaves fine scratches that collectors spot at once and that cut the value of silver dates sharply.
- Look at the high points of the portrait and the design. Wear there sets the grade. The grade in turn drives the value of older 50 cent coins.
Both 1870 types carry a collector premium in any condition. Because the initials are tiny, a worn LCW coin can be mistaken for this scarcer type, which is why careful collectors want to see the truncation clearly before paying extra. Most survivors are well worn, with a flat crown and smooth hair. A coin with clear hair strands, readable leaf veins and full rims is a real find for a first year issue. If yours looks crisp, a grading service can confirm both the variety and the grade.
Victoria sterling 50 cents (1870 to 1901)
Canada's 50 cent piece begins in 1870, three years after Confederation, as the largest coin in the Dominion's first set of silver. American silver was circulating at a discount at the time, so the government shipped much of it out of the country and ordered its own 5, 10, 25 and 50 cent coins. Canada had no mint, so the work went to England. London struck most dates, while the private Heaton mint in Birmingham filled some orders and marked its coins with a small H. The obverse carries Leonard Charles Wyon's crowned portrait of Victoria inside VICTORIA DEI GRATIA REGINA CANADA. The reverse puts 50 CENTS and the date inside a maple wreath with a crown above.
Each coin is sterling silver, 92.5 percent pure, weighing 11.62 g and measuring about 29.7 mm. That works out to roughly 0.35 troy ounces of pure silver, a heavy coin for a pocket. Orders were small and irregular. Only thirteen date and mint combinations exist for the whole reign, with long gaps such as 1873 to 1880 and 1882 to 1887 when no 50 cents were struck at all. Published mintages run from 450,000 for 1870 down to 20,000 for 1890-H, with 1894 and 1871-H also below 50,000.
By modern standards every Victorian 50 cent piece is scarce and nearly all of them carry a collector premium, even when worn smooth. Read the date first, then check the bottom of the reverse for an H. The keys are 1890-H, 1894 and 1871-H, with 1888 and 1899 not far behind. Most survivors circulated for decades, so clear hair strands and visible leaf veins are rare at any date. On a key date, study the digits under magnification, because altered dates and copies exist.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 50 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Canadian Mint |
| Year | 1870 |
| Circulation mintage | 450,000 |
| Composition | Sterling silver (92.5% silver) |
| Weight | 11.62 g |
| Diameter | 29.72 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Reeded |
Other 1870 Canadian 50 cent coins
| Coin | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 LCW Canadian 50 Cent Coin | 450,000 | Small premium |
Frequently asked questions
How do you tell the 1870 without LCW from the LCW coin?
Look at the truncation, the lower edge of Victoria's neck on the obverse. The LCW coin has tiny raised initials there and this type has none. Use a magnifier, since wear on that high point can hide the letters.
Why do both 1870 types show the same mintage?
The 450,000 figure is the total struck for 1870. Published records do not separate coins from dies with and without the initials, so both varieties are listed against the full number for the year.
Mintage figures: 50-cent piece (Canadian coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Canadian Mint figures. How we build these pages.