Top 10 Rare Canadian Coins - My Road to Wealth and Freedom (2024)

The Top 10 Rare Canadian Coins are some of the most valuable coins in the world. Canadian rare coins are worth a lot of money and throughout its history, the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) has produced some of the rarest coins on earth.

Not only does this make Canadian coins super fun to collect, but they’re also some of the best investment-grade collectibles around. In recent years, there has been a surge of international collector interest in Canadian coins as they recognize the scarcity and investment potential of these coins.

There will always be a market for old Rare Canadian Coins. Which is why I only focus on these kinds of coins for my personal collection and not the current day purpose made collector coins offered by the RCM.

Here is my list for the top 10 most valuable and rare Canadian coins.

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Top 10 Most Valuable Canadian Coins :

1. 1911 Canadian Silver Dollar (known examples: 2)

The 1911 Canadian Silver Dollar is the Holy Grail of Canadian coins. For years it held the record for the world’s most valuable coin.

Only 3 examples were ever struck (2 in silver and 1 in bronze). The bronze example and 1 silver example are housed at the Canadian Currency Museum in Ottawa, which leaves only 1 example out there for collectors! At an auction in 2003, this coin fetched nearly 1 million dollars.

2. 1936 dot 1 cent (known examples: 3)

Some of the most popular and collectible Canadian coins are the 1936 “dot” coins. The story of how they came into being involved King Edward VIII’s sudden abdication in late 1936 which saw George VI ascend to the throne. That event caused a major problem for the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) because they didn’t have any dies with the new king’s effigy on them to strike the 1937 coinage.

The Mint’s solution was to produce a small number of 1936 coins with a tiny raised “dot” just below the date to denote that they were struck in 1937. Only 3 denominations were ever struck with the “dot”: 25-cents, 10-cents and 1-cent pieces. The 1936 “dot” 1-cent coin is the rarest of them all with only 3 mint state examples known to exist. One example sold at a 2010 coin auction for over $400,000!

3. 1936 dot 10-cents (known examples: 5)

The 1936 “dot” 10-cent piece is also extremely rare. One example sold at a 2010 coin auction for over $184,000!

4. 1969 Large Date 10-cents (known examples: 16)

The 1969 large date 10-cent coin is also extremely rare. From time to time they appear at auction and fetch anywhere from $10,000 to $25,000, depending on the grade.

5. 1916 C Gold Sovereign (known examples: less than 50)

A sovereign is a British one pound gold coin that was struck at the RCM from 1908-1919. The 1916 C gold sovereign is the rarest and sells at auction anywhere from $15,000 to $50,000, depending on the grade.

6. 1921 50-cents (known examples: less than 75)

Called the “King of Canadian coins,” the 1921 50 cent coin is another classic Canadian rarity. Charlton lists the original mintage of this coin at 206,398, but almost all of them were melted down because of low demand for 50 cent coins.

As a result, only a handful of these coins exist and many believe that they came from specimen sets and business strikes that were sold to visitors at the mint in 1921. These coins in various grades can fetch anywhere from $40,000 to $250,000 at auction.

7. 1906 small crown 25-cents (known examples: less than 200)

The 1906 small crown 25 cent coin is the rarest Canadian quarter and is worth a lot of money. It is believed that only 1 die was used to strike no more than a hundred examples before being replaced with the large crown die. Most of the known examples are low-grade circulated examples that are almost completely rubbed off.

There are only a handful of examples that grade above a “Very Good” condition. These coins in the lowest of grades can fetch over $1,000 and in the higher grades like “Almost Uncirculated” and “Mint State” can fetch well above $50,000.

8. 1921 5-cents (known examples: less than 400)

If the 1921 50 cent piece is the “King of Canadian coins” then the 1921 5 cent piece is the “Prince of Canadian” coins. In 1921 the RCM was looking to introduce a new 5 cent coin made of nickel for the 1922 coinage.

In preparation for its launch, the mint melted down its entire inventory of silver 5 cent coins, nearly all of which were 1921s.

As was the case with the 1921 50 cent coin, all surviving examples are believed to have come from specimen sets and business strikes that were sold to visitors at the mint in 1921. These coins in various grades can fetch anywhere from $4,000 to $100,000.

9. 1948 Canadian Silver Dollar (known examples: 1000?)

The “King of Canadian Silver Dollars” is the 1948 Silver Dollar. Its listed mintage was 18,780 but only a few have survived. The story behind the low mintage of the 1948 silver dollar has to do with India’s independence in 1947.

Prior to 1948, the obverse of Canadian coins featured the effigy of the reigning monarch with their name and royal title in a Latin inscription. Part of their royal title included the designation of “emperor of India.”

So this needed to be removed from the dies to strike the 1948 coins. By the time the mint received the new dies they were only able toproduce a small quantity.

These coins can be found at auction and usually sell between $1,000 and $20,000, depending on the grade.

10. 1947 Maple Leaf Silver Dollar (known examples: 1000?)

The 1947 Maple Leaf Silver Dollar shares its history with the 1948 silver dollar. As the RCM awaited new dies to strike the 1948 coins, they used the 1947 dies to fulfill existing demand.

In similar fashion to the 1936 “dot” coins, the mint placed a tiny maple leaf next to the date on the coins to signify that they were struck in 1948. The listed mintage for these coins is 21,135 but it is also a rare silver dollar. It can fetch anywhere from $300 to $10,000 at auction, depending on the grade.

Other Rare and Valuable Canadian Coins

The coins mentioned above are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Rare and Valuable Canadian Coins. There are literally thousands of other coins that are rare and valuable.

For example, Pre-1968 silver coins (dimes, quarters and 50-cent pieces) are valuable based on their silver content. You can even sometimes still find these in your pocket change!

The above picture is from my personal coin collection. These are sterling silver quarters from early Confederation. The first Canadian quarters were minted in 1870 and some years were skipped. From 1899 until present, a Canadian quarter has been minted for every year, but not always minted for circulation.

You Can see from the 1875 example that even in well circulated condition these coins can sell for hundreds of dollars. That’s what makes Canadian quarters one of my favourite type of coin to collect!

Do You Have Any Rare Coins? What Are They Worth?

For more information about Rare Canadian coins check out these titles from Amazon:

James A. Haxby’s A Guide Book of Canadian Coins

M. Drake’s Canadian Coin Guide: Charlton Coin Guide.

Protect and Preserve Your Coins

It’s no secret that the most valuable coins are ones that are well preserved. I highly recommend using the individualized 2×2 coin holder. I’ve used them for years for my own coins and they can be kept in a special coin album.

Other Great Coin Articles

See my other articles on rare coins and investing in coins:

Rare Canadian Quarters

Top 10 Rare Canadian Nickels

Top 10 Rare Canadian Pennies

Investing in Rare Coins

Top 10 Rare American Coins

Modern Rare Canadian Coins

The Thousand Dollar Bill

Rare Victorian Quarters

Top 10 Silver Bullion Coins

Top 10 Gold Bullion Coins

Thanks for reading the top 10 rare Canadian coins and keep on collecting!

Top 10 Rare Canadian Coins - My Road to Wealth and Freedom (2024)

FAQs

Which Canadian coins are most valuable? ›

The 1911 Canadian Silver Dollar is considered to be the Holy Grail of Canadian coins. While three coins exist, only one lives in the outside world, available for collectors.

What is the holy grail of Canadian coins? ›

Bank of Canada Silver Dollar

The nickname of this is 'Emperor' and 'Holy Grail'. It is extremely rare as only pattern pieces existed, which were not meant for circulation. In 1965 it held a world record for being the world's most valuable coin. It is also the rarest in the country.

What Canadian penny is worth $400,000? ›

1936 Canadian "Dot" Penny

At a 2010 auction, a Canadian penny made headlines for fetching more than $400,000 USD. The reason for this high price tag was rarity.

What Canadian 5 cent coins are valuable? ›

Five Cents - Nickel coins
Five Cents - NickelValue Range
Five Cents - NickelValue Range
1951 5c Beaver, High Relief MS$244.00 - $2,340 $244.00 - $2,340
1952 5c MS$0.20 - $40.50 $0.20 - $40.50
1953 5c No Strap, Far Leaf MS$0.20 - $15.19 $0.20 - $15.19
80 more rows

What Canadian dimes are worth money? ›

Dimes Worth Money
  • 1994-D DIME WITH ERRORS. ...
  • Double hit Canadian dime. ...
  • 1967 Roosevelt Dime with errors. ...
  • Rare 1941 dime. ...
  • 1965 Roosevelt Dime AU Cond Error Coin. ...
  • 2022 Error Dime rare Errors Obverse & Reverse. ...
  • 1965 SMS Roosevelt Dime - NGC Graded MS 67 - prooflike certified dime.

Which Canadian quarters are worth money? ›

Quarters coins
QuartersValue Range
QuartersValue Range
1906 25c Small Crown MS$780 - $33,600 $780 - $33,600
1907 25c MS$5.93 - $3,500 $5.93 - $3,500
1908 25c MS$5.93 - $2,500 $5.93 - $2,500
76 more rows

What is Jesus coin? ›

About Jesus Coin

Jesus Coin is the official cryptocurrency for Christians across the world, as per the token's whitepaper.

What is a rare Canada cent? ›

Large cent coins were minted from 1858 until 1920, when they were replaced by the small cent coin. The 1923 small cent is the rarest date among Canadian coins. A 1923 small 1-cent can fetch from $25.00 to $3,374 CAD. Fewer 1925 small cent coins were minted than any another Canadian penny.

What is the error on the 2006 Canadian penny? ›

Those 2006 magnetic coins were supposed to have a little logo on the flip side, right below the image of the Queen – either a P, or the brand-new Royal Canadian Mint crown/maple-leaf logo that's now on all coins. Ed knew there'd been an error that year, and that some pennies rolled out with no P, no logo.

How much is a 1943 Canadian penny worth? ›

According to Canadian coins price guide and values, “The value of a Canadian coin depends on several factors such as quality and wear, supply and demand, scarcity, finish and more. The melt and minimum value of a 1 cent 1943 is $0.03.”

How rare is a 50 cent coin in Canada? ›

Although it is infrequently used for trade and commerce, the coin remains popular with coin collectors and the Mint strikes a few thousand 50-cent coins every year.

Which Canadian symbol can be found on the 5 cent coin? ›

This is the five-cent coin. The common name for the five-cent coin is a nickel. There is a picture of a beaver on a Canadian 5-cent coin. Beavers build dams with their strong teeth and tails.

What is the rarest 5 cent? ›

A seller said "the Australian 2007 5c piece double-sided obverse coin strike is one of the rarest and most collectible coins since the 1930 Australian penny". Coin collectors are advised to keep an eagle eye because "less than a few hundred are thought to have been circulated".

What is a 1943 Canadian penny worth? ›

According to Canadian coins price guide and values, “The value of a Canadian coin depends on several factors such as quality and wear, supply and demand, scarcity, finish and more. The melt and minimum value of a 1 cent 1943 is $0.03.”

What is the rarest 10 cent coin in Canada? ›

"The 1936 Dot 10 Cents is one of the rarest Canadians coins ever produced. The few coins extant are either in permanent museum collections or in private collections and are unobtainable for most collectors.

Is a 1969 Canadian dime worth anything? ›

1969 Large Date: Fewer than 20 examples of the large date variety exist. High-grade versions of this coin sell for $15,000 to $30,000.

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