1970 Canadian Dime
The 1970 Canadian Dime is a Canadian dime struck for circulation with 5.25 million made. Value band: face value. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 1970
- Circulation mintage
- 5,249,296
- Value band
- Face value
- 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 1970 Canadian Dime worth?
With 5.25 million made, the 1970 Canadian Dime is common and worth face value in circulated condition. Only uncirculated coins with full luster, recognized varieties and genuine errors interest collectors.
What would make yours worth more:
- Full uncirculated luster
- A recognized variety or genuine error
- Coins from a specimen or proof set
For market prices, look at recent sold results for the same coin in the same condition, not asking prices.
Quick answers
- Is the 1970 Canadian Dime rare?
- No. 5.25 million were made, so circulated examples are worth face value.
- How many 1970 Canadian dimes were made?
- 5,249,296 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 1970 Canadian Dime made of?
- Nickel (99.9%). It weighs 2.07 g and measures 18.03 mm.
- Is the 1970 Canadian Dime still legal tender?
- Yes. Canadian dimes are legal tender.
The 1970 dime in context
After the record outputs of 1968 and 1969, dime production almost stopped in 1970. The Royal Canadian Mint struck just 5,249,296, roughly a tenth of the 1969 figure and far below the 41,016,968 of 1971. It is the lowest dime mintage of the entire nickel era and the lowest since 1954. Huge numbers of 1968 and 1969 dimes were already in circulation, so the need for new coins was small.
For collectors the 1970 is the key date of the modern nickel dime. It is not rare in the way of 1889 or 1948 and worn examples still turn up in change, but in uncirculated condition it is clearly scarcer than its neighbors. Many people who sort through rolls of older nickel dimes are looking for the 1970 above any other date. It shows how a single low mintage year can stand out in a series where most dates were struck by the tens or hundreds of millions. If you find one in change, it is worth keeping, especially if it still has its original shine.
How to recognize it
Arnold Machin's portrait of the queen in a tiara faces right, with ELIZABETH II D·G·REGINA. The reverse shows the smaller schooner introduced in 1969, with CANADA, 10 CENTS and 1970. The coin is pure nickel at 2.07 g and 18 mm with a reeded edge and is attracted to a magnet. Nothing in the design changed from 1969, so the date is the only thing that sets it apart. On worn coins the 7 and 0 are usually clear, but scratches can confuse the last digit, so check it with a magnifier. The coin has no mint mark, as Ottawa never added one.
1970 Canadian Dime by the numbers
In mintage terms the 1970 Canadian Dime ranks 64th lowest of 157 Canadian dime dates and varieties from 1858 to 2024. The next scarcer is the 1918 Canadian Dime (5.13 million); the next more common is the 1939 Canadian Dime (5.5 million).
For scale, the most common is the 2008 Canadian Dime with 467.5 million, about 89 times as many. The scarcest is the 1884 Canadian Dime with 150,000, 35 times fewer than this one.
Compared with the dates around it, the 1970 output was 11 times fewer than 1969 and 7.8 times fewer than 1971.
Over the 1970s the Mint produced 1.31 billion dimes across 10 dates and varieties; the 1970 Canadian Dime accounts for 0.4% of that.
What to check on your 1970 Canadian Dime
- Try a magnet. Nickel (99.9%) is magnetic, so a genuine 1970 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 dimes only interest collectors in uncirculated condition or with a recognized variety.
In circulated condition the 1970 dime trades for a small premium over face value because of its low mintage. Uncirculated examples carry a collector premium and are the ones most wanted. Look for coins with full rigging lines on the schooner and smooth, unmarked fields. Mint sets from 1970 are a good source of nice examples. It is the one nickel dime of the period worth hunting for in old rolls. Even a worn example is a nice coin to keep in a date set.
Nickel Bluenose dimes (1969 to 1989)
From 1969 the dime settled into its long nickel era. The coin is pure nickel, weighing 2.07 g at the same 18 mm diameter, with a reeded edge. Machin's portrait of the queen wearing a tiara stayed on the obverse with ELIZABETH II D·G·REGINA. In 1969 the Bluenose on the reverse was re-engraved as a smaller ship, the version that would carry on for decades. Nickel was hard wearing, white like silver and mined in large quantities in Canada, so it was a natural replacement.
Mintages show how much the economy depended on small change. After a big 1969 there was a sudden dip to 5,249,296 in 1970, then production climbed to 167,715,435 in 1973 and passed 200 million in 1974 and 1975. The 1979 total of 237,321,321 was the highest of the reign so far. Through the 1980s output stayed between about 93 and 200 million a year, with 1982 the low point at 93,475,000.
Apart from 1970 these are face value coins and they still turn up in change. A magnet confirms the metal: every nickel dime is attracted to it. Look for bright, unworn coins from rolls or mint sets if you are building a date run, since circulated nickel dimes tend to look dull and scratched. The 1969 also has a rare large date variety struck from the older, larger design, so a 1969 with a noticeably big date deserves a closer look.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 10 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Canadian Mint |
| Year | 1970 |
| Circulation mintage | 5,249,296 |
| Composition | Nickel (99.9%) |
| Weight | 2.07 g |
| Diameter | 18.03 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Reeded |
Frequently asked questions
Why was the 1970 dime mintage so low?
The mint had struck enormous numbers of dimes in 1968 and 1969, so there was little need for new ones in 1970. Only 5,249,296 were made, the lowest figure of the nickel era.
Is a 1970 dime worth more than ten cents?
Usually a little. Circulated coins carry a small premium over face value, while uncirculated examples bring a collector premium. It is the scarcest regular nickel dime. Keep any you find.
Mintage figures: Dime (Canadian coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Canadian Mint figures. How we build these pages.