The 50-cent coin bears the Canadian Coat of Arms. It honours the four founding nations of Canada: England, Scotland, Ireland and France. The inscription, "A Mari usque ad Mare," means "from sea to sea"; the second inscription, "Desiderantes meliorem patriam," means "they desire a better country." The current design was produced by former Royal Canadian Mint engraver Thomas Shingles and was first used in 1959. In recent decades, the fifty-cent circulation coin has not been widely used in day-to-day transactions, yet it remains popular with coin collectors.

Reverse side designs  |   Technical specifications  |   Mintages

1858 - 1936
The crossed maple boughs
The design of two crossed maple boughs appear on all 10-cent, 25-cent, and 50-cent coins from 1858 to 1936.

1937 - 1958
The simplified Coat of Arms
A simplified version of Canada's coat of arms was created in 1937 for the 50-cent coin as part of an initiative to modernize Canada's circulation coins.

1959 - 1966, 1968 - present
The modified Coat of Arms
The Canadian Government approved a new Coat of Arms in 1957. In 1959 it appeared on the 50-cent coin, where it remains to this day.

1967
The centennial 50-cent coin
Alex Colville created a special set of coin designs to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Canadian confederation; the 50-cent coin features a howling wolf.

1908 - 1919
Composition: 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper
Weight (g): 11.62
Diameter (mm): 29.72
Thickness (mm): n/a

1920 - 1967
Composition: 80% silver, 20% copper
Weight (g): 11.66
Diameter (mm): 29.72
Thickness (mm): n/a

1968 - 1979
Composition: 99% nickel (minimum)
Weight (g): 8.1
Diameter (mm): 27.13
Thickness (mm): 1.93

1980 - 1999
Composition: 99% nickel (minimum)
Weight (g): 8.1
Diameter (mm): 27.13
Thickness (mm): 1.9

2000 - present
Composition: 93.15% steel, 4.75% copper, 2.1% nickel plating
Weight (g): 6.9
Diameter (mm): 27.13
Thickness (mm): 1.95

1908 - 1909
1908 - 128,119
1909 - 203,118

1910 - 1919
1910 - 649,521
1911 - 209,972
1912 - 285,867
1913 - 265,889
1914 - 160,128
1915 - 0
1916 - 459,070
1917 - 752,213
1918 - 854,989
1919 - 1,113,429

1920 - 1929
1920 - 584,429
1921 - 206,398
1922 - 0
1923 - 0
1924 - 0
1925 - 0
1926 - 0
1927 - 0
1928 - 0
1929 - 228,328

1930 - 1939
1930 - 0
1931 - 57,581
1932 - 19,213
1933 - 0
1934 - 39,539
1935 - 0
1936 - 38,550
1937 - 192,016
1938 - 192,018
1939 - 287,976

1940 - 1949
1940 - 1,996,566
1941 - 1,714,874
1942 - 1,974,165
1943 - 3,109,583
1944 - 2,460,205
1945 - 1,959,528
1946 - 950,235
1947 - 463,318
1948 - 37,784
1949 - 858,991

1950 - 1959
1950 - 2,384,179
1951 - 2,421,730
1952 - 2,596,465
1953 - 1,630,429
1954 - 506,305
1955 - 753,511
1956 - 137,499
1957 - 2,171,689
1958 - 2,957,266
1959 - 3,095,535

1960 - 1969
1960 - 3,488,897
1961 - 3,584,417
1962 - 5,208,030
1963 - 8,348,871
1964 - 9,377,676
1965 - 12,629,974
1966 - 7,683,228
1967 - 4,211,395
1968 - 3,966,932
1969 - 7,113,929

1970 - 1979
1970 - 2,429,516
1971 - 2,166,144
1972 - 2,515,632
1973 - 2,546,096
1974 - 3,436,650
1975 - 3,710,000
1976 - 2,646,000
1977 - 709,939
1978 - 3,341,892
1979 - 3,425,000

1980 - 1989
1980 - 1,943,155
1981 - 2,588,900
1982 - 2,884,572
1983 - 1,177,000
1984 - 1,502,989
1985 - 2,188,374
1986 - 781,400
1987 - 373,000
1988 - 220,000
1989 - 266,419

1990 - 1999
1990 - 207,000
1991 - 490,000
1992 - 248,000
1993 - 393,000
1994 - 987,000
1995 - 626,000
1996 - 458,000
1997 - 387,000
1998 - 308,000
1999 - 496,000

2000 - 2009
2000 - 559,000
2001 - 403,000
2002 - 14,440,000
2003 - 0
2004 - 0
2005 - 200,000
2006 - 98,000
2007 - 250,000
2008 - 211,000
2009 - 150,000

2010 - present
2010 - 150,000
2011 - 175,000
2012 - 250,000
2013 - 375,000
2014 - 500,000
2015 - 625,000

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