1912 Canadian Dime
The 1912 Canadian Dime is a Canadian dime struck for circulation with 3.24 million made. Value band: metal value. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 1912
- Circulation mintage
- 3,235,557
- Value band
- Metal value
- 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 1912 Canadian Dime worth?
The 1912 Canadian Dime is a silver coin with 0.0693 troy ounces of pure silver, so its floor is its metal value: 0.0693 times the day's silver spot price. With 3.24 million made, worn examples trade for about their silver; collectors pay more for sharp, original coins and much more for uncirculated ones with full luster.
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 1912 Canadian Dime rare?
- Not by mintage. 3.24 million were made, but it is silver, so even worn examples are worth their metal value rather than face value.
- How many 1912 Canadian dimes were made?
- 3,235,557 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 1912 Canadian Dime made of?
- Sterling silver (92.5% silver). It weighs 2.33 g and measures 18.03 mm.
- Is the 1912 Canadian Dime still legal tender?
- Yes. Canadian dimes are legal tender, but a silver one is worth more for its metal than its face value.
The 1912 dime in context
After the outcry over the Godless coins of 1911, the government had the legend corrected. The 1912 dime is the first to carry the revised version, GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: REX ET IND: IMP:, which would stay on Canadian coins for the rest of the reign. The Ottawa mint struck 3,235,557 dimes, up from 2,737,584 the year before, as the prewar economy kept growing.
For collectors, the 1912 is the start of the standard George V dime. It is also the last full year of the Edwardian leaves reverse, since early in 1913 a new small leaves wreath took over. That makes 1912 a small transition point on both sides of the coin: a new legend on the obverse and the last full year of an older design on the reverse. It is not a scarce date, but it is an important one if you are building a type set or following the changes of the period. Most 1912 dimes are found worn, as they saw heavy use through the war years that followed. Better examples turn up less often.
How to recognize it
Mackennal's crowned and robed bust of George V faces left with the new legend GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: REX ET IND: IMP:. The reverse shows 10 CENTS and 1912 inside a crowned wreath of maple leaves, still in the Edwardian style introduced in 1909. It is sterling silver at about 2.33 g and 18 mm with a reeded edge, holding a little under 0.07 troy oz of silver. To tell it apart from a 1911, check the legend for DEI GRA: after the king's name. To tell it from later dates, the date is enough. The obverse of every later George V dime follows this 1912 version.
1912 Canadian Dime by the numbers
By the numbers, the 1912 Canadian Dime ranks 53rd lowest of 157 Canadian dime dates and varieties from 1858 to 2024. The next scarcer is the 1911 Canadian Dime (2.74 million); the next more common is the 1929 Canadian Dime (3.25 million).
For scale, the most common is the 2008 Canadian Dime with 467.5 million, about 144 times as many. The scarcest is the 1884 Canadian Dime with 150,000, 22 times fewer than this one.
Compared with the dates around it, the 1912 output was 1.2 times the 1911 figure and 1.1 times fewer than 1913.
Over the 1910s the Mint produced 39.5 million dimes across 10 dates and varieties; the 1912 Canadian Dime accounts for 8.2% of that.
What to check on your 1912 Canadian Dime
- Check the date first: silver Canadian dimes carry dates from 1858 to 1968; this one has 0.0693 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 dimes.
The 1912 is a common George V date and in worn condition it trades close to its silver value, with a small premium for age. Uncirculated or nearly uncirculated examples carry a collector premium. It is a good coin to place beside a 1911 in a collection, since together they show the story of the legend change clearly. Look for clear lettering and crown detail. Mint state examples are scarcer than the mintage suggests, since few people saved new dimes in 1912. Avoid cleaned coins.
George V sterling dimes (1911 to 1919)
George V succeeded his father in May 1910 and his first Canadian coins are dated 1911. Bertram Mackennal modeled the crowned and robed bust, which faces left. The 1911 legend, GEORGIVS V REX ET IND: IMP:, left out DEI GRA:, the words for by the grace of God and the public reaction was loud enough that the dies were changed. From 1912 the legend reads GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: REX ET IND: IMP:. The 1911 coins are still known as the Godless issue.
The reverse kept 10 CENTS and the date inside a crowned maple wreath. In 1913 two versions of the wreath were used, one with small leaves and one with broader large leaves; the large leaves dimes are much the scarcer. The dime was still sterling silver, about 2.33 g and 18 mm, all struck in Ottawa. Mintages fell to 688,057 in 1915 and then soared during the First World War, as wages and prices rose and people needed more change. By 1919 the Ottawa mint struck 7,877,722 dimes, a record that stood until 1940.
These are the last sterling silver dimes Canada made, each with a little under 0.07 troy oz of pure silver. Most are worn, so look at the crown and the jewels on the king's robe for remaining detail. Check 1913 dimes closely against pictures of the two leaf styles, since the large leaves version is a genuine rarity. The 1911 is popular as a one year legend and the 1915 is the low mintage date of the period.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 10 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Canadian Mint |
| Year | 1912 |
| Circulation mintage | 3,235,557 |
| Composition | Sterling silver (92.5% silver) |
| Weight | 2.33 g |
| Diameter | 18.03 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Reeded |
Frequently asked questions
What changed on the 1912 dime?
The legend. The words DEI GRA:, for by the grace of God, were added back after they were left off the 1911 coins. The 1912 dime reads GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: REX ET IND: IMP:.
How many 1912 dimes were struck?
The published mintage is 3,235,557, all struck at the Ottawa mint. That is a fairly large number for the period, so the 1912 is not scarce in worn condition. Most survivors show plenty of wear.
Mintage figures: Dime (Canadian coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Canadian Mint figures. How we build these pages.