If you’re a collector of Canadian coins, you’ve probably heard of the special ones worth more than their face value. But, as with any other collectible, some rare and valuable coins can be worth thousands of dollars. In this article, we’ll go over 20 of the most valuable and rarest Canadian coins that may have slipped under your radar as far as collecting goes:
20 of the Most Valuable and Rarest Canadian Coins:
1. 1911 Canadian Silver Dollar
The 1911 Canadian Silver Dollar is one of Canada’s most valuable and rare coins. It was minted in 1911, considered the “Holy Grail” of Canadian coins. With only three ever being struck, two in silver and one in bronze.
Only three examples are in existence today! One silver and the bronze are in the Canadian Currency Museum and the other silver coin?
It was auctioned in 2003 and fetched nearly a million dollars! In addition to being extremely valuable, it’s a highly collectible coin many people would like to have in their collection.
It’s an excellent addition to any collection because it has a fascinating history.
2. 1936 Dot 1 Cent
The 1936 Dot 1 Cent is a one-cent coin minted in Canada. This is one of the most valuable coins in Canadian currency due to its historical value.
To give you a background on how historically valuable it is, in late 1936, When George VI ascended to the throne of becoming king, the Royal Canadian Mint didn’t have any dies to strike the new king’s effigy on them to strike the 1937 coinage.
Due to this problem, 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 it was struck in 1937.
Only three mint state coins are known to exist! One of them was auctioned in 2010 for over $400,000!
3. 1936 Canadian Dot 10 Cents
The 1936 Canadian Dot 10 Cents is the rarest and most valuable Canadian coin. It boasts a value of $184,000!
Only five examples of this coin exist, which makes it one of the most valuable Canadian coins in circulation.
The 1936 Canadian Dot 10 Cents was designed by Emanuel Hahn, who also designed other coins for Canada and other countries throughout his long career as an artist and engraver.
4. 1969 Large Date 10-Cents
The 1969 Large Date 10-Cents is also rare, with only 16 known to exist today! This coin became famous nine years after it was struck in 1969!
They appear at auctions from time to time and can go anywhere from $10,000 or higher, depending on the condition and grade of the coin.
5. 1916 C Gold Sovereign
The 1916 C Gold Sovereign is a Canadian gold coin that was minted in Canada in the year of its independence, 1916.
The coin has a unique value because it was the year of Canada’s independence and contains actual gold.
The coin is worth between $15,000 to $50,000, depending on the condition of the coin.
6. 1921 50-Cents
Also called the “King of Canadian Coins,” this is another rare and valuable coin.
With its original mintage at 206,398, these coins were soon melted down due to low demand for 50-Cent coins, which leaves only less than 75 coins in existence today!
Many believe the remaining coins came from sets and business strikes sold to visitors at the Mint in 1921. These coins can go for $40,000 to $250,000!
7. 1906 Small Crown 25-Cents
Maybe the rarest Canadian quarter in existence! Many believed that only one die was used to strike no more than 100 examples after being replaced with a larger crown.
Most of these coins are in bad condition due to their being circulated. With less than two hundred in existence, only a handful has a grade above “Very Good” condition.
The lowest grade of this coin can go up to $1,000, and higher grades can go above $50,000!
8. 1921 5-Cents
As we discussed earlier, with the 1921 50 Cent piece being the “King of Canadian Coins,” the 1921 5-Cent piece is considered the “Prince of Canadian Coins.”
When the Royal Canadian Mint was preparing to introduce a new 5-cent piece made of nickel for 1922, these silver 1921 5-Cents were melted down; today, only less than 400 are known to exist!
This coin can fetch from $4,000 to $100,000!
9. 1948 Canadian Silver Dollar
The 1948 Canadian Silver Dollar, or the “King of Canadian Silver Dollars,” is one of the rare Canadian coins out there, with only 18,780 minted.
The low mintage was because of India’s Independence in 1947. These coins can be found in an auction going from $1,000 to $20,000!
10. 1947 Maple Leaf Silver Dollar
Similar to the 1936 Dot coins, due to die shortage, the mint placed a tiny maple leaf next to the date of the coins to signify that they were struck in 1948.
With only 21,135 coins ever minted, this is one of the rarest Canadian coins out there! They can go to $10,000 in an auction!
11. 1874 Canadian Coin 50-Cents
This coin from 1874 is one of the rarest of the rare! Only two specimens are known to exist today!
One of the coins was sold in 2021 for 75,600 Canadian Dollars!
This coin was considered rare due to its cameo designation from the PCGS. Surely a prize to have in a collection!
12. 1908 Canadian Coin Sovereign
The 1908 Canadian Coin Sovereign is a coin of tremendous value. It was minted in 1908, and it was the only year this particular coin was minted.
As a result, few coins were made, with only 636 coins total! What makes them valuable is the gold content found in the coin!
Six of these coins were auctioned in 2021 and 2022; prices vary depending on the coin’s condition.
For example, a coin graded 60 was bought for 10,115 Canadian dollars, and nearly 40,000 for a grade 66 coin!
13. 1859 Canadian Coin 1 Cent Brass
In 1850, Canada passed a bill allowing one of its British provinces to have its currency. The law stated that coins made should be in denominations of pence, shillings, and pounds.
But the Brits objected. Another law was passed and again disallowed. This continued until 1857. The coins weren’t produced until 1858.
With over 9.5 million one cent struck, the rarest is the brass variation. This coin variation was sold in 2021 for almost 33,000 Canadian Dollars!
14. 1969 Canadian Coin 25-Cents Struck on Gold
This coin was struck in error over another coin. The original coin was dated 1906 and was a 20-mark coin from the German State Prussia.
Mistakes like this are rare, making the coin highly valuable and sought after by collectors. In 2021, this coin was sold for 26,700 Canadian dollars!
15. 1890 Canadian Coin 50-Cents
This coin piece bears the portrait of Queen Victoria, and the prices of the coins vary in quality, wear, and condition.
Most of the coins were worn down and had a grade of “About Good (AG).”
For coins like these in better condition, a graded mint state 65 was sold in 2010 for 274,000 Canadian dollars!
16. 2003 Canadian Coin Elizabeth II Gold Proof Golden Jubilee
This coin was struck in 2003 to commemorate the golden jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
It bears a portrait of Her Majesty in the front and depicts two Americans in a canoe on the reverse. This coin was also made of gold, making it more valuable to collectors.
Most of these coins were bought by collectors and kept in good condition. That’s why in 2021, one of the coins was sold for 103,000 Canadian dollars!
17. 1944 Tombac 5-Cent
Maybe the rarest of all the Canadian coins out there, with only one in existence! A bit of history about the coin is that in 1942, Canada had a vast shortage of nickel due to the war and was forced to change the composition of the tombac to brass alloy.
It is said that in 1943, 8,000 5-cent pieces were produced on tombac planchets dated 1944, but later decided to produce 5-cent coinage in steel nickel and chromium plating, and all the 8,000 pieces were melted down, except for one.
18. 2007 Million Dollar Coin
In 2007, the Royal Canadian Mint produced the world’s first million-dollar coin. This coin weighs 100 kilograms with a 99.99% pure gold bullion coin.
Although it was legal tender, the piece was not seen in general circulation due to its high melt value and size.
Also, in 2007, The Guinness World Record awarded the Million Dollar Coin as the world’s largest gold coin until 2011, when the Australian mint produced its version of a Million Dollar Coin.
19. 1996 Beaded Toonie
The 1996 Beaded Toonie is the only Canadian coin to be made up of two separate parts. It features a nickel-plated steel center with an outer ring of colored glass beads.
The back features an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, as well as animals and symbols representing Canada’s heritage, such as peregrine falcons and beavers.
With only four in existence, this coin truly is one of a kind!
20. Nickel Pattern 25-Cent
Pattern coins never made it onto the market, but they’re still valuable.
They usually take the form of a regular coin with a different metal or alloy, but sometimes they can have unusual shapes or designs.
It’s believed that five to ten examples of this coin still exist. One of the coins was sold in 2019 for $3,800, which may be the only certified example.
Before you go…
We hope this list has given you some ideas for where to find the rarest and most valuable coins in Canada! If you have any topics, you think we should cover, leave them in the comment section! Happy Collecting!
Check out my next article: “10 of The Most Valuable Canadian Coins Ever!“
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Hello. I have one of those1936 dot one cent coins. I would like to auction off. Any suggestions? Bonnie
Hi Bonnie, the easiest way is using eBay auction. Good luck
Hello I have a rare of the rare coins have you heard of 1880 Canadian dime” I haven’t heard of one yet is it rare and how much can it fetch in Canadian money wise in auction.
We can try to check it out in our next articles.
Is the 1996 beaded Toonie valuable with a bear on it? Also does a 1910 Canadian nickel have any value?