1936 Canadian Dime
The 1936 Canadian Dime is a Canadian dime struck for circulation with 2.46 million made. Value band: metal value. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 1936
- Circulation mintage
- 2,460,871
- Value band
- Metal value
- Composition
- 80% silver, 20% copper
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 1936 Canadian Dime worth?
The 1936 Canadian Dime is a silver coin with 0.0599 troy ounces of pure silver, so its floor is its metal value: 0.0599 times the day's silver spot price. With 2.46 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 1936 Canadian Dime rare?
- Not by mintage. 2.46 million were made, but it is silver, so even worn examples are worth their metal value rather than face value.
- How many 1936 Canadian dimes were made?
- 2,460,871 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 1936 Canadian Dime made of?
- 80% silver, 20% copper. It weighs 2.33 g and measures 18.03 mm.
- Is the 1936 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 1936 dime in context
George V died on 20 January 1936, but the 1936 dime still carries his portrait. New dies take time and his son Edward VIII abdicated in December 1936 before any Canadian coins with his portrait were issued. So the Ottawa mint kept striking George V dimes all year, with a published mintage of 2,460,871. That was a big jump from the 384,056 of 1935, as the economy slowly recovered.
The story has a famous twist. Early in 1937 the dies for George VI were still not ready, so the mint struck more coins with 1936 George V dies and added a small raised dot to show they were made in 1937. On the dime the dot sits below the ribbon bow at the bottom of the wreath. The 1936 dot dime is one of the rarest Canadian coins, with only a handful known and is not counted separately in the mintage data. Every ordinary 1936 dime is a common coin, but the existence of the dot version means it is always worth a glance at the bottom of the reverse.
How to recognize it
The obverse carries Mackennal's crowned king facing left, with GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: REX ET IND: IMP: around him. The reverse shows 10 CENTS and 1936 inside a crowned wreath of maple leaves. It is the last year of this wreath design, which had been on the dime in one form or another since 1858. It is struck in 80 percent silver, weighing about 2.33 g at 18 mm, with roughly 0.06 troy oz of pure silver. On the rare dot variety a small raised dot appears below the ribbon bow; ordinary coins have no dot. Check that area with a magnifier.
1936 Canadian Dime by the numbers
By the numbers, the 1936 Canadian Dime ranks 47th lowest of 157 Canadian dime dates and varieties from 1858 to 2024. The next scarcer is the 1928 Canadian Dime (2.46 million); the next more common is the 1921 Canadian Dime (2.47 million).
For scale, the most common is the 2008 Canadian Dime with 467.5 million, about 190 times as many. The scarcest is the 1884 Canadian Dime with 150,000, 16 times fewer than this one.
Compared with the dates around it, the 1936 output was 6.4 times the 1935 figure and about the same as 1937.
Over the 1930s the Mint produced 21.2 million dimes across 10 dates and varieties; the 1936 Canadian Dime accounts for 12% of that.
What to check on your 1936 Canadian Dime
- Check the date first: silver Canadian dimes carry dates from 1858 to 1968; this one has 0.0599 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.
A regular 1936 dime is a common date, valued mainly for its silver when worn, with a collector premium for uncirculated coins. It is the last year of the George V dime and the end of the old wreath reverse, which gives it type set appeal. If you see a dot below the wreath, have the coin authenticated. Fakes exist and a genuine dot dime is a major rarity. For an ordinary coin, look for good crown detail and natural toning. It is a pleasant way to end a George V date set.
George V 80% silver dimes (1920 to 1936)
Silver prices rose sharply during and after the First World War and in 1920 Canada lowered the fineness of its silver coins from 92.5 to 80 percent. The dime kept its size and weight of about 2.33 g, so the only change was less silver: roughly 0.06 troy oz per coin. Then the demand for change collapsed in the slump that followed the war. After 1921 no dimes were struck at all until 1928, a gap of six years.
The design did not change. Mackennal's crowned bust of George V faces left with GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: REX ET IND: IMP:, while the reverse has 10 CENTS and the date inside a crowned wreath of maple leaves. Production restarted in 1928 at a little under 2.5 million and then fell away as the Depression took hold, to 672,368 in 1933, 409,067 in 1934 and just 384,056 in 1935, the lowest dime mintage of the twentieth century. George V died in January 1936 but 1936 dimes still carry his portrait.
For collectors the period is about the Depression dates. The 1934 and 1935 are the ones to look for and are hard to find in better grades, with 1933 not far behind. Wear shows first on the crown and the king's ear, then on the leaf veins. A small raised dot below the wreath on a 1936 dime marks one of the rarest Canadian coins, struck in 1937 while new dies were prepared, though only a handful are known.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 10 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Canadian Mint |
| Year | 1936 |
| Circulation mintage | 2,460,871 |
| Composition | 80% silver, 20% copper |
| Weight | 2.33 g |
| Diameter | 18.03 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Reeded |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1936 dot dime?
A dime struck in 1937 with 1936 dies and a small raised dot added below the wreath, because George VI dies were not ready. Only a handful are known, making it one of Canada's rarest coins.
Why is there no Edward VIII Canadian dime?
Edward VIII reigned for less than a year and abdicated in December 1936 before Canadian coins with his portrait were issued. The mint kept using George V dies through 1936.
Mintage figures: Dime (Canadian coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Canadian Mint figures. How we build these pages.