1992 Canadian 50 Cent Coin
The 1992 Canadian 50 Cent is a Canadian 50 cent coin struck for circulation with 445,000 made. Value band: small premium. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 1992
- Circulation mintage
- 445,000
- Value band
- Small premium
- Composition
- Nickel (99.9%)
Original illustration of the coin's shape and metal. Tap to flip. Not a picture of the actual design.
Face value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 1992 Canadian 50 Cent worth?
At 445,000, the 1992 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:
- Full uncirculated luster
- Original mint roll or set coins
- A recognized variety or genuine error
For market prices, look at recent sold results for the same coin in the same condition, not asking prices.
Quick answers
- Is the 1992 Canadian 50 Cent rare?
- It is scarcer than most Canadian 50 cent coins. Collectors pay a small premium for good examples.
- How many 1992 Canadian 50 cent coins were made?
- 445,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 1992 Canadian 50 Cent made of?
- Nickel (99.9%). It weighs 8.1 g and measures 27.13 mm.
- Is the 1992 Canadian 50 Cent still legal tender?
- Yes. Canadian 50 cent coins are legal tender.
The 1992 50 cent coin in context
In 1992 Canada marked the 125th anniversary of Confederation and several circulating coins carried the double date 1867 and 1992. The 50 cent piece kept its coat of arms reverse but swapped the single date for the pair. The mint struck 445,000, a little below the 490,000 of 1991 and above the 393,000 of 1993. Dora de Pédery-Hunt's crowned portrait, introduced in 1990, was on the obverse. It was the first double date on the denomination since the 1967 wolf. The single date returned in 1993.
By this time the 50 cent piece was a minor coin in daily life. Canadians made change with quarters and loonies. Most 50 cent pieces went into mint sets and rolls rather than tills. That makes the 1992 a coin many people have never seen in change, even though its mintage is in the hundreds of thousands. The double date gives it a little extra appeal. It is a reminder of the same celebration that brought the provincial and territorial quarters that year. Many of the year's 50 cent pieces were sold in mint sets, which keep the coins in bright condition.
How to recognize it
Dora de Pédery-Hunt's crowned portrait of the queen faces right with ELIZABETH II D·G·REGINA. The reverse shows the complete coat of arms with CANADA, 50 CENTS and the dates 1867 and 1992. The coin is pure nickel, 8.1 g and 27.13 mm. It sticks to a magnet. Check both dates carefully; a coin with a single date is not a 1992. Wear shows first on the crown and the arms. The arms on the reverse are the complete design introduced in 1959, before the 1997 revision added the Order of Canada ribbon. Like other nickel coins, it is harder than silver and holds its detail well.
1992 Canadian 50 Cent by the numbers
Measured by how many were made, the 1992 Canadian 50 Cent ranks 56th lowest of 125 Canadian 50 cent dates and varieties from 1870 to 2022. The next scarcer is the 1947 Canadian 50 Cent (424,885); the next more common is the 1870 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 1992 output was 1.1 times fewer than 1991 and 1.1 times the 1993 figure.
Over the 1990s the Mint produced 4.8 million 50 cent coins across 10 dates and varieties; the 1992 Canadian 50 Cent accounts for 9.3% of that.
What to check on your 1992 Canadian 50 Cent
- Try a magnet. Nickel (99.9%) is magnetic, so a genuine 1992 coin sticks; a silver one would not.
- Never clean it. Rubbing or polishing leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
- Look for full luster and no scratches. Modern 50 cent coins only interest collectors in uncirculated condition or with a recognized variety.
Circulated 1992 coins are face value pieces. Uncirculated examples, usually from mint sets or rolls, draw a small premium. The double date makes it a popular choice for a commemorative set. Look for bright luster and no spots or scratches, since nickel shows marks clearly. For collectors of modern Canadian coins, the 1992 is one of the more interesting dates of the decade because of its double date. Coins taken from mint sets often keep a bright, clean surface. Check for small spots on the nickel before buying.
Nickel 50 cents (1968 to 2000)
With silver too costly for circulating coins, the 50 cent piece switched to pure nickel in 1968 and shrank to 27.13 mm and 8.1 g. Nickel is hard, wears well and sticks to a magnet. The complete coat of arms returned on the reverse, scaled down to fit. Machin's portrait of the queen ran through 1989 and Dora de Pédery-Hunt's crowned portrait took over on coins dated 1990.
The 50 cent piece never became a popular coin in Canada. Most people paid with quarters and dollars, so after a peak of 7,113,929 in 1969 mintages settled at two to three million and then fell further. From 1987 the coin was struck in much smaller numbers, often under half a million a year. A few dates stand out: 1977 at 709,839, 1988 at 220,000 and 1990 at 207,000. The 1992 coins carry the double date 1867 and 1992 for the 125th anniversary of Confederation. In 1997 the reverse was updated to the revised arms, with the ribbon of the Order of Canada around the shield.
For most finders these are face value coins, but low mintage years from the late 1980s and 1990s draw a small premium in uncirculated condition, since many were made mainly for mint sets and rolls. Collectors also look for small die varieties noted in the data, such as square and round jewels in 1978 and small and large beads in 1982. Wear shows on the queen's hair and the fine lines of the arms. Coins with bright luster and few bag marks are the ones to keep.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 50 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Canadian Mint |
| Year | 1992 |
| Circulation mintage | 445,000 |
| Composition | Nickel (99.9%) |
| Weight | 8.1 g |
| Diameter | 27.13 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Reeded |
Frequently asked questions
Why does the 1992 50 cent piece have two dates?
The dates 1867 and 1992 mark the 125th anniversary of Confederation. Several Canadian circulating coins carried the double date that year. The 50 cent piece kept its usual coat of arms reverse with the two dates added.
Is the 1992 50 cents rare?
Not especially. With 445,000 struck, it is a lower mintage coin but most were saved in sets and rolls. Uncirculated coins draw a small premium. Circulated pieces are generally worth face value.
Mintage figures: 50-cent piece (Canadian coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Canadian Mint figures. How we build these pages.