Check Your Change Jar: These Rare Canadian Coins Are Worth a Mint

Prior to 1922, Canadian nickels were made of "coin silver" (800 parts silver) or sterling silver (925 parts silver). The last of these coins were minted in 1921. Because of their high silver content, people have melted many of the coins over the years. Now they are extremely rare. These coins are regularly faked, so it's very important that you have a coin appraised before purchasing it. They can run anywhere from $1,500 to $15,000 today.

Related: 4 Rare & Valuable Euro Coins to Watch For

Fetching $184,000 at auction, the "dot" dime of 1936 is another great collector's coin. This dime was actually produced in 1937, and the dot was added to the 1936 design. Very few of these coins exist, perhaps only five. They are currently valued from $144,500 to $245,000.

Known as the "king of Canadian coins," this 50-cent piece is so rare that there may only be about 50-100 in circulation. A large number of these coins were minted in 1921, but very few entered circulation. The vast majority of them were melted down to create the later versions of the 50-cent piece. The remaining coins are so rare that in 2010, one fetched $218,500 at auction. Uncirculated 1921 50-cent coins are currently valued from $104,500 to $335,400 CAD.

Although a number of these 50-cent pieces, featuring Queen Victoria, were minted in the late 19th century, very few survived in mint or near-mint condition. These pristine examples now fetch high prices at auction. A 1899 Victoria 50-cent coin is currently valued from $103 through $50,150 CAD.

The 1911 Canadian Silver Dollar held the record of the world's most valuable coin. Only two Canadian silver dollars were struck, and one is housed at the Canadian Currency Museum in Ottawa. This leaves only one 1911 Canadian silver dollar available to collectors. In 2019 it sold to a private collector for $552,000 USD. In a previous sale, this coin sold for $1,066,000.

A sovereign is a British one-pound gold coin that was struck at the Royal Canadian Mint from 1908 to 1919. The 1916 C gold sovereign is rare, with about fifty known. The value of uncirculated 1916 Gold Sovereigns range from $33,300 to $218,000 CAD.

When the 10-cent 1969 coins were made, there was an error and inadvertently, some Large date coins were made instead of the Small date. The 1969 large date 10-cent coin is extremely rare, it's estimated that only 20 to 30 are in circulation. They are currently valued at $11,300 to $21,900 CAD.

In 1921 the Royal Canadian Mint intended 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. Only 400 silver 5-cents coins are believed to have survived. These coins are currently sell at auction for $2,261 to $67,082 CAD.

The last Canadian pennies were struck at the Royal Canadian Mint in Winnipeg on May 4, 2012. Canadians with pennies to spare were asked to take their pennies to banks and other financial institutions so that they could be taken out of circulation and the metals recycled. If you still have Canadian pennies, you can't spend them but the banks will still take them. Make sure you hold on to the rare pennies on this list.

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. Only three such pennies are known to exist. What makes the penny special is that beneath the date, there is a tiny dot. This dot indicates that the penny was actually made in 1937, rather than 1936.

The Canadian penny was redesigned in 1953 with the coronation of Queen Elizabeth, and the first design for the backside of the coin featured a fold in the queen's gown. When this design was used for the minting it caused problems with equipment and quality. The backside was redone later in 1953 to eliminate the shoulder fold, which made the original design very rare. These pennies have sold for up to $2,000 CAD at auction.

The 1955 No shoulder fold is one of the rarest Canadian pennies ever struck. A few 1955 pennies were mistakenly struck with the older design dies. These have sold for up to $5,500 CAD at auction.

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. Uncirculated 1925 1-cent coins sell for $220 to $3374 CAD.

The small 1-cent pennies listed below can sell for from $10 through thousands of dollars, depending on their condition.

If you're looking for Canadian coins online, the following sites sell rare examples:

Coin collecting can be fun, but it's also an investment. Making smart choices in which coins you want and how much you're willing to pay is very important. Keep the following tips in mind when collecting Canadian coins:

Whether you're just starting your Canadian coin collection or are going after one of the coveted coins mentioned above, you'll enjoy the thrill of the hunt. Researching and tracking down these rare coins is almost as satisfying as adding them to your collection. If you're interested in money values from other countries, learn more about the U.S. 1943 steel penny value and what 2 dollar bills are worth.