1990 Canadian Dime
The 1990 Canadian Dime is a Canadian dime struck for circulation with 65 million made. Value band: face value. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 1990
- Circulation mintage
- 65,023,000
- 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 1990 Canadian Dime worth?
With 65 million made, the 1990 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 1990 Canadian Dime rare?
- No. 65 million were made, so circulated examples are worth face value.
- How many 1990 Canadian dimes were made?
- 65,023,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 1990 Canadian Dime made of?
- Nickel (99.9%). It weighs 2.07 g and measures 18.03 mm.
- Is the 1990 Canadian Dime still legal tender?
- Yes. Canadian dimes are legal tender.
The 1990 dime in context
In 1990 the portrait of the queen on Canada's coins changed for the second time. Arnold Machin's tiara portrait, used since 1965, gave way to a new design by Dora de Pédery-Hunt, the first Canadian artist to create the royal portrait for the country's coins. She shows Elizabeth II wearing a crown, a more mature image than Machin's. The Royal Canadian Mint struck 65,023,000 dimes dated 1990, a sharp drop from the 199,104,414 of 1989.
That fall in production continued into 1991, when only 50,397,000 dimes were made, before output jumped back to 174,476,000 in 1992. The early 1990s were years of recession in Canada and the demand for coins dipped with the economy. For collectors, the 1990 is a first year of type: the first dime with the de Pédery-Hunt portrait, which would remain on the coin until 2003. It is a common date and easy to find in change, but it marks the start of a new look for Canada's coins. The reverse was unchanged, still carrying the smaller schooner introduced in 1969.
How to recognize it
Dora de Pédery-Hunt's portrait shows the queen facing right and wearing a crown, with the legend ELIZABETH II D·G·REGINA around it. Compared with Machin's portrait, the queen looks older and the crown is more prominent than the earlier tiara. The reverse is Hahn's schooner with CANADA, 10 CENTS and 1990. The coin is pure nickel at 2.07 g and 18 mm with a reeded edge, so it is attracted to a magnet. It carries no mint mark. To tell a 1990 from a 1989 at a glance, look at the portrait: the crown means 1990 or later. Canadian circulation coins of this period came mainly from the Royal Canadian Mint's Winnipeg facility, opened in 1976.
1990 Canadian Dime by the numbers
By the numbers, the 1990 Canadian Dime ranks 105th lowest of 157 Canadian dime dates and varieties from 1858 to 2024. The next scarcer is the 1967 50% Silver Canadian Dime (63 million); the next more common is the 2020 Canadian Dime (68.8 million).
For scale, the most common is the 2008 Canadian Dime with 467.5 million, about 7.2 times as many. The scarcest is the 1884 Canadian Dime with 150,000, 433 times fewer than this one.
Compared with the dates around it, the 1990 output was 3.1 times fewer than 1989 and 1.3 times the 1991 figure.
Over the 1990s the Mint produced 1.25 billion dimes across 10 dates and varieties; the 1990 Canadian Dime accounts for 5.2% of that.
What to check on your 1990 Canadian Dime
- Try a magnet. Nickel (99.9%) is magnetic, so a genuine 1990 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.
The 1990 is a face value coin in circulated condition, with a small premium for uncirculated examples from mint sets. It is a good first year of type for a collection that follows the changing portraits of Elizabeth II. Look for bright, unmarked coins with clear detail in the crown. Since nickel dimes pick up scratches easily, coins from original rolls or sets are the best choice. The 1991 that followed is even lower, so the two make a natural pair for anyone collecting dates.
Dora de Pédery-Hunt dimes (1990 to 2002)
In 1990 the Machin portrait gave way to one by Dora de Pédery-Hunt, the first Canadian artist to design the royal portrait on Canada's coins. She shows the queen wearing a crown, facing right, with ELIZABETH II D·G·REGINA. Hahn's Bluenose carried on unchanged on the reverse. Mintages swung widely through the decade, from 50,397,000 in 1991 to 258,462,000 in 1999, as demand rose and fell.
Nickel had become expensive and in the early 2000s the Royal Canadian Mint switched the dime to a cheaper multi-ply plated steel: a steel core with thin layers of plating that keep the familiar white look. The plated dime weighs 1.75 g, lighter than the 2.07 g nickel coin, at the same 18 mm. To tell the two apart the mint added a small P below the queen's portrait, for plated. The 2001 dimes also include a special design for the International Year of Volunteers, the first circulating commemorative dime since the 1967 mackerel.
Most dates here are face value coins, though 1996 and 1997, both under 52 million, are the scarcer ones in uncirculated condition. A magnet will not help with these, since nickel and plated steel are both attracted to it. Look for the P instead and on a 2001 check the reverse to see whether you have the schooner or the Volunteer design. Bright coins from mint sets are the ones worth keeping.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 10 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Canadian Mint |
| Year | 1990 |
| Circulation mintage | 65,023,000 |
| Composition | Nickel (99.9%) |
| Weight | 2.07 g |
| Diameter | 18.03 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Reeded |
Frequently asked questions
Who designed the portrait on the 1990 dime?
Dora de Pédery-Hunt, the first Canadian artist to design the queen's portrait for Canada's coins. Her crowned portrait appeared on Canadian coins from 1990 until 2003, replacing Arnold Machin's tiara portrait.
Is the 1990 dime rare?
No. With 65,023,000 struck it is a common coin and worth face value in circulated condition. It is lower than the years around it, though, so bright uncirculated examples carry a small premium.
Mintage figures: Dime (Canadian coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Canadian Mint figures. How we build these pages.