Every pre-1968 Canadian silver coin is worth at least its melt value. These are worth much more, because so few were made. If you inherit or find a group of old Canadian coins, check for these dates before anything is sold, spent — or cleaned. Values below are rough guides for circulated coins; condition changes everything, and uncirculated examples can be worth several times more. Get a proper appraisal for anything on this list.
1948 Silver Dollar — the one to find
Mintage: 18,780. The rarest regular-issue Canadian silver dollar. Even a worn example typically sells for $500–$1,500+, and top-condition coins go far higher. If you check one date from an old collection, check this one.
1947 Maple Leaf Silver Dollar
Mintage: 21,135. Struck in 1948 while new dies were delayed (India's independence meant the Emperor of India title had to come off the coinage), these dollars carry a tiny maple leaf beside the 1947 date. Worth several hundred dollars and up, depending on condition.
1945 Silver Dollar
Mintage: 38,391. A wartime low-mintage date that sells for well over melt even in circulated grades, and strong money in uncirculated condition.
1938 Silver Dollar
Mintage: 90,304. The scarcest of the early George VI dollars after 1945 — noticeably harder to find than the common 1939 royal visit dollar, and priced accordingly.
Other dates to set aside
1946 and 1947 (regular) dollars both had low mintages and carry premiums. Among smaller denominations, watch for the 1921 half dollar (the "King of Canadian Coins" — vanishingly rare), 1948 dimes and quarters, and any pre-1920 coin in unusually sharp condition. Small dates and mint marks matter: when in doubt, set the coin aside unsold until it's identified.
Modern collector coins can surprise you too
Not everything valuable is old. The Royal Canadian Mint's 2016 $20 "Traditional Ukrainian Pysanka" — the first of the egg-shaped series, mintage 4,000, issued at $114.95 — has recently listed around $2,700 at Canadian dealers. Limited mintage plus a beloved design can outrun silver content many times over.
Found something on this list? Read the selling guide before taking an offer — and never clean the coin. Cleaning is the single fastest way to turn a $1,000 coin into a $50 one.