what coins are silver in canada

[RicardoAnn]

Hey there! That's a great question. Canada has a fascinating history when it comes to silver coins, and the composition has changed quite a bit over the years.

Going way back, Canadian coins minted up to and including 1919 were made of 92.5% sterling silver. This applied to denominations like the five-cent, ten-cent, twenty-five-cent, and fifty-cent coins. So, if you find a coin from that era, it has a very high silver content.

From 1920 all the way through 1966, the silver content was reduced to 80%. This is the most common type of Canadian "junk silver" people find, and it includes dimes, quarters, half-dollars, and dollar coins. These coins were produced consistently with 80% silver for over four decades.

The years 1967 and 1968 were a period of transition as Canada phased out silver in its currency. In 1967, the dimes and quarters started the year with 80% silver but were later switched to 50% silver. The half-dollars and dollars from 1967, however, remained at 80% silver for the entire year. In 1968, dimes and quarters were made with 50% silver for part of the year before being replaced entirely by nickel. After 1968, silver was no longer used in Canadian coins intended for general circulation.