See If You Can Strike Silver

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See If You Can Strike Silver

Have you ever thought that maybe there was a coin in your pocket change that was really worth something but didn’t know what to look for? Well, look no further than our Pocket Prospector feature, where we share our coin smarts to make you a better collector!

Silver hasn’t been used to strike Canadian Coins for over 50 years, but this valuable metal can still turn up in your pocket! Recently a Canadian Coin & Currency employee received three silver quarters in change from a local restaurant while on lunch break. As it turns out, the store had received several rolls from the bank!

Use the information below to check your change, and with a little luck, you too might find a silver lining in your pocket!

A HISTORY OF CANADA'S SILVER COINS

First Struck Coinage

The first coinage was struck for the Province of Canada.

1858

Coinage for Dominion of Canada

First coinage was struck for the Dominion of Canada.

1870

RCM Silver Coins

The first silver coins were struck by Canada's very own Royal Canadian Mint.

1908

Silver Stoppage

No silver coins were minted in Canada from 1922 to 1926.

1922

The End of Silver Coins

Silver is discontinued in Canadian currency.

1968

Silver Skyrockets

Silver prices reach an all time high, tipping $50/ounce.

1980

Silver Peaks Again

Silver reaches another peak at $48.48/ounce.

2011

FOCUS ON QUARTERS & DIMES

With a silver dime being worth about $1.25 today and a quarter over $3.00*, it’s worth checking, so here’s what to look for when prospecting for silver in your pocket!

Look carefully at the date – 1967 is the magic number. If your quarter or dime is from ’67 or earlier, you’ve struck silver!

Although 1967 means a sure thing, don’t spend those 1968’s just yet! Some of those are silver too, and the easiest way to sort them out is with a magnet. Silver is not magnetic so if your ‘68s don’t stick, you’ve got silver!

KNOW YOUR SILVER

NOT ALL SILVER COINS ARE CREATED EQUAL

10 Cents & 25 Cents

1919 & older - 92.5% silver

1920-1966 - 80% silver

1967 - 80% or 50% silver

1968 - 50% silver or nickel

50 Cents

1919 & older - 92.5% silver

1920-1967 - 80% silver

Dollars

1935-1967 - 80% silver

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CANADIAN SILVER COIN FUN FACTS

1965 was the record for the most silver minted in one year at 20,314,387 ounces!
The face value of these coins in 1965 was $33.8 million, but would be worth $634.8 million in silver value at today’s market price.
20.3 million ounces of silver in silver dimes could stretch from Vancouver, BC, to St. John’s, NL, if laid side by side!
20.3 million ounces of silver weighs about as much as 100 African bull elephants!