1931 Canadian 50 Cent Coin

Quick answers

Is the 1931 Canadian 50 Cent rare?

Yes, by the standards of Canadian 50 cent coins. With 57,581 struck, the 1931 Canadian 50 Cent ranks 11th lowest of the 125 circulating Canadian 50 cent coins we track.

How many 1931 Canadian 50 cent coins were made?

57,581 were struck for circulation.

What is the 1931 Canadian 50 Cent made of?

80% silver, 20% copper. It weighs 11.66 g and measures 29.72 mm.

Is the 1931 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.

How to recognize it

The obverse is George V by Mackennal, crowned and robed and facing left, inside GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: REX ET IND: IMP:. The reverse has 50 CENTS and 1931 inside the maple wreath under a crown. The coin is 80 percent silver, 11.66 g and about 29.7 mm, with roughly 0.30 troy ounces of pure silver. The 3 and the final 1 are the digits to confirm on a worn coin. Wear shows first on the crown jewels and the top of the wreath. The design is the same as on every George V 50 cent piece since 1912 and there is no mint mark. Nothing on the design changed when the mint got its new name.

1931 Canadian 50 Cent by the numbers

In mintage terms the 1931 Canadian 50 Cent ranks 11th lowest of 125 Canadian 50 cent dates and varieties from 1870 to 2022. The next scarcer is the 1899 Canadian 50 Cent (50,000); the next more common is the 1888 Canadian 50 Cent (60,000).

For scale, the most common is the 2002 P Golden Jubilee Canadian 50 Cent with 14.4 million, about 251 times as many. The scarcest is the 1932 Canadian 50 Cent with 19,213, 3 times fewer than this one.

Compared with the dates around it, the 1931 output was 4 times fewer than 1929 and 3 times the 1932 figure.

Over the 1930s the Mint produced 826,893 50 cent coins across 7 dates and varieties; the 1931 Canadian 50 Cent accounts for 7.0% of that.

What to check on your 1931 Canadian 50 Cent

• Check the date first: silver Canadian 50 cent coins carry dates from 1870 to 1967; this one has 0.3 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.

A 1931 carries a collector premium in any grade and a strong one in fine condition. It is scarce enough that altered dates are possible, so compare it with a genuine example. Look for even wear and natural tone rather than cleaning. Coins with damage or holes draw far less interest. Among the four Depression keys it is the most often found, so it is a good first step toward the set. Expect most coins to show heavy wear on the crown and wreath. Sharp coins are scarce.

George V 80 percent silver 50 cents (1920 to 1936)

Silver prices rose after the First World War and in 1920 Canada lowered the fineness of its silver coins from sterling to 80 percent. The 50 cent piece became 11.66 g of .800 silver at the same 29.7 mm or so, holding about 0.30 troy ounces of pure silver. Nothing on the coin announces the change. Mackennal's portrait and the maple wreath carried on, so the date is the only way to tell a 1919 from a 1920 by eye.

Then demand collapsed. The mint struck coins dated 1921, but banks were well stocked after the war and the new 50 cent pieces sat in storage. None are dated 1922 to 1928. When demand came back in 1929, the mint melted most of the 1920 and 1921 coins it still held rather than release old dates. Almost every 1921 disappeared and only 75 to 100 are known today. The Depression kept later runs tiny: 57,581 in 1931, 19,213 in 1932, 39,539 in 1934 and 38,550 in 1936, with no coins at all for 1930, 1933 or 1935. In December 1931 the Ottawa branch became the Royal Canadian Mint, though the coins look the same.

This is the group where Canadian 50 cent collecting gets serious. The 1921 is the king of Canadian coins and a significant rarity, while 1932, 1934, 1936 and 1931 are all key dates with a collector premium in any condition. The 1920 and 1929 are the more available pair. Check the last digit of the date carefully, since a worn 1929 or 1920 should never be mistaken for a 1921. Be wary of altered dates too. Wear hits the crown, the beard and the high points of the wreath first.

Mintage chart

Specifications

Frequently asked questions