1905 Canadian 50 Cent Coin
The 1905 Canadian 50 Cent is a Canadian 50 cent coin struck for circulation with 40,000 made. Value band: collector premium. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 1905
- Circulation mintage
- 40,000
- Value band
- Collector 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 a 1905 Canadian 50 Cent worth?
With 40,000 struck, the 1905 Canadian 50 Cent ranks 8th lowest of the 125 circulating Canadian 50 cent coins we track. Collectors pay a collector premium even for worn examples. Sharp, uncirculated coins with no marks bring considerably more.
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 1905 Canadian 50 Cent rare?
- Yes, by the standards of Canadian 50 cent coins. With 40,000 struck, the 1905 Canadian 50 Cent ranks 8th lowest of the 125 circulating Canadian 50 cent coins we track.
- How many 1905 Canadian 50 cent coins were made?
- 40,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 1905 Canadian 50 Cent made of?
- Sterling silver (92.5% silver). It weighs 11.62 g and measures 29.72 mm.
- Is the 1905 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 1905 50 cent coin in context
The 1905 is the key date of Edward VII's 50 cent pieces. London struck just 40,000, the smallest figure of the reign and one of the lowest of any 50 cent piece Canada issued. It followed the small 1904 run, so the middle of the decade produced very few 50 cent coins at all. The next year's order of 350,000 was almost nine times larger. London struck the whole run, as it did for every Edward VII date before the Ottawa mint opened apart from the 1903-H.
Collectors rank the 1905 well above every other Edwardian date for difficulty. Most survivors are worn, many heavily. A coin with full detail on the robes is a real event. Its low figure also puts it in company with the Victorian keys; only the 1890-H, the 1894 and a handful of later dates sit lower. Because the 1905 is so well known, it attracts copies and altered dates, so careful checking is essential. It is the coin that decides how long an Edward VII set takes to finish. Even a worn example with a clear date is a coin worth keeping.
How to recognize it
De Saulles's portrait shows Edward VII crowned and robed, facing right, with EDWARDVS VII DEI GRATIA REX IMPERATOR. The reverse shows 50 CENTS and 1905 inside the maple wreath with a crown at the top. You will not find a mint mark. Look closely at the 5, the digit most likely to be altered from a 6 or a 3. It should match the style of the other digits. In the hand it is 11.62 g of sterling silver, roughly 0.35 troy ounces of the pure metal. The coin is about 29.7 mm across. Wear shows first on the king's beard and mustache, the top of the crown and the leaf veins on the reverse.
1905 Canadian 50 Cent by the numbers
Measured by how many were made, the 1905 Canadian 50 Cent ranks 8th lowest of 125 Canadian 50 cent dates and varieties from 1870 to 2022. The next scarcer is the 1934 Canadian 50 Cent (39,539); the next more common is the 1871 H Canadian 50 Cent (45,000).
For scale, the most common is the 2002 P Golden Jubilee Canadian 50 Cent with 14.4 million, about 361 times as many. The scarcest is the 1932 Canadian 50 Cent with 19,213, 2.1 times fewer than this one.
Compared with the dates around it, the 1905 output was 1.5 times fewer than 1904 and 8.8 times fewer than 1906.
Over the 1900s the Mint produced 1.54 million 50 cent coins across 10 dates and varieties; the 1905 Canadian 50 Cent accounts for 2.6% of that.
What to check on your 1905 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.
The 1905 carries a strong collector premium in every grade and is a significant rarity in fine condition. Authentication by a grading service is worth considering before buying or selling. Expect wear on the beard, crown and robes even on decent coins. Holes, cleaning and rim repairs reduce interest a great deal, so look for an original coin with honest wear. For many collectors the 1905 is the hardest regular coin of the Edward VII series and often the last one they add to the set.
Edward VII silver 50 cents (1902 to 1910)
Victoria died in January 1901, but 50 cent pieces dated 1901 still show her. Edward VII arrives on coins dated 1902, in a crowned and robed bust by George William de Saulles facing right, with the legend EDWARDVS VII DEI GRATIA REX IMPERATOR. The reverse kept the familiar layout of 50 CENTS and the date inside a maple wreath, with the crown at the top redrawn for the new reign. Nothing changed in the metal. An Edwardian 50 cent piece is still sterling silver, 11.62 g, with about 0.35 troy ounces of pure silver.
The big change was where the coins came from. Heaton in Birmingham struck its last 50 cent pieces for Canada in 1903, marked with an H. London supplied the rest until January 1908, when a branch of the Royal Mint opened in Ottawa. From then on Canada's coins were made at home. Demand for the denomination was still modest. Mintages range from just 40,000 in 1905 to 649,521 in 1910. The four years from 1902 to 1905 never reach 150,000. The 1910 coins come with two slightly different leaf designs on the reverse.
For this reign the date tells you most of what you need. The 1905 is the key, with 1904 close behind, while 1902, 1903-H and 1908 are better dates in any grade. The 1906, 1907 and 1909 are easier but still collector coins. Wear shows first on the king's beard and mustache, the top of the crown and the leaf veins. Edward died in May 1910, yet every 1910 50 cent piece still carries his portrait; George V's first coins are dated 1911.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 50 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Canadian Mint |
| Year | 1905 |
| Circulation mintage | 40,000 |
| Composition | Sterling silver (92.5% silver) |
| Weight | 11.62 g |
| Diameter | 29.72 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Reeded |
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1905 the rarest Edward VII 50 cent piece?
Yes. With a published mintage of 40,000 it is the lowest of the reign, below the 60,000 of 1904. It carries a collector premium in every grade. The next year's run was almost nine times larger.
How can you check a 1905 for an altered date?
Compare the 5 with the other digits under magnification. Its shape, thickness and spacing should match. Tool marks or a slightly raised area around the digit are warning signs and worth a grading service check.
Mintage figures: 50-cent piece (Canadian coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Canadian Mint figures. How we build these pages.