1948 Canadian Dime
The 1948 Canadian Dime is a Canadian dime struck for circulation with 422,741 made. Value band: small premium. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 1948
- Circulation mintage
- 422,741
- Value band
- Small premium
- 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 1948 Canadian Dime worth?
At 422,741, the 1948 Canadian Dime has a smaller run than most Canadian dimes, 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:
- 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 1948 Canadian Dime rare?
- It is scarcer than most Canadian dimes. Collectors pay a small premium for good examples.
- How many 1948 Canadian dimes were made?
- 422,741 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 1948 Canadian Dime made of?
- 80% silver, 20% copper. It weighs 2.33 g and measures 18.03 mm.
- Is the 1948 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 1948 dime in context
The 1948 is the key date of George VI's dimes. Only 422,741 were struck, a tiny figure next to the 9,638,793 maple leaf coins made earlier in 1948 and the 11,336,172 dimes of 1949. The reason is simple. The new dies with the corrected legend, leaving out Emperor of India, did not arrive until late in the year. For most of 1948 the mint used the old 1947 dies with a maple leaf, so only a small batch of coins actually carried the 1948 date.
That makes the 1948 the lowest mintage dime of the whole George VI reign and the third lowest of the twentieth century, after 1935 and 1934. Like those Depression dates, it is far scarcer than almost every other Bluenose dime. Few people paid attention at the time, so most 1948 dimes went into circulation and were used for years. Today it is the coin that George VI collectors most often need last. It also marks the first appearance of the new legend, which would continue through 1952. Any 1948 dime you find is worth setting aside, whatever its condition.
How to recognize it
Paget's bare-headed George VI faces left with the new legend GEORGIVS VI DEI GRATIA REX. The words for Emperor of India have gone, which is the easiest way to confirm the obverse belongs to 1948 or later. The reverse shows Hahn's schooner with CANADA, 10 CENTS and 1948. There is no maple leaf after the date. The metal is 80 percent silver: about 2.33 g in weight, 18 mm across and roughly 0.06 troy oz of pure silver. Check the final 8 carefully, since a worn or altered date could be passed off as this key year. The legend is the quickest check.
1948 Canadian Dime by the numbers
By the numbers, the 1948 Canadian Dime ranks 7th lowest of 157 Canadian dime dates and varieties from 1858 to 2024. The next scarcer is the 1934 Canadian Dime (409,067); the next more common is the 1890 H Canadian Dime (450,000).
For scale, the most common is the 2008 Canadian Dime with 467.5 million, about 1106 times as many. The scarcest is the 1884 Canadian Dime with 150,000, 2.8 times fewer than this one.
Compared with the dates around it, the 1948 output was 23 times fewer than 1947 and 27 times fewer than 1949.
Over the 1940s the Mint produced 109.1 million dimes across 11 dates and varieties; the 1948 Canadian Dime accounts for 0.4% of that.
What to check on your 1948 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.
The 1948 carries a collector premium in any condition and a significant one in high grades. It is the most important George VI dime. Because of its value, check that the date has not been altered and that the legend matches the new 1948 style without ET IND:IMP:. A coin with the old legend and a date reading 1948 is a red flag. For better examples, certification by a grading service is worth considering. Even a worn 1948 is a coin to treasure.
George VI Bluenose dimes (1937 to 1952)
George VI came to the throne in December 1936 and his coins, dated 1937, brought the biggest design change in Canadian coinage since 1858. The crowns and wreaths gave way to Canadian subjects and the dime got a fishing schooner under full sail by the sculptor Emanuel Hahn. It has long been accepted as the Bluenose, the Lunenburg racing schooner launched in 1921 and his initial H appears on the reverse. The obverse shows Thomas Humphrey Paget's bare-headed portrait of the king facing left.
The coin is still 80 percent silver at about 2.33 g and 18 mm, about 0.06 troy oz of pure silver. Mintages rose quickly as the economy recovered and then during the Second World War, peaking at 21,143,229 in 1943. India became independent in 1947, which meant the king was no longer Emperor of India and the ET IND:IMP: in the legend had to go. New dies were not ready in time, so early in 1948 the mint struck coins dated 1947 with a tiny maple leaf added after the date. The corrected 1948 dime, reading GEORGIVS VI DEI GRATIA REX, had a mintage of only 422,741.
The 1948 is the key of the reign and the 1947 maple leaf is a popular variety, though it actually outnumbers the plain 1947. Other dates are common silver coins. Check the sails and the waves for wear: the fine rigging lines vanish first. Any George VI dime has silver value, so do not spend one by accident.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 10 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Canadian Mint |
| Year | 1948 |
| Circulation mintage | 422,741 |
| Composition | 80% silver, 20% copper |
| Weight | 2.33 g |
| Diameter | 18.03 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Reeded |
Frequently asked questions
Why is the 1948 Canadian dime so rare?
The new dies without Emperor of India arrived late in 1948. Most dimes struck that year used old 1947 dies with a maple leaf, so only 422,741 actually carry the 1948 date.
What is the quickest check on a 1948 dime?
Check the obverse legend. A genuine 1948 reads GEORGIVS VI DEI GRATIA REX, without ET IND:IMP:. Then confirm the date is a clean, untouched 1948 with no maple leaf after it.
Mintage figures: Dime (Canadian coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Canadian Mint figures. How we build these pages.