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Top 10 most valuable canadian coins sold at auction in 2019

By Lightw4re    |   Wednesday, 27 November 2019

Mostly because of the George Hans Cook Collection of Canadian Coinage auction, the most complete collection of Canadian coins ever assembled, some of the greatest and rarest canadian coins changed hands this year. Here's the Top 10 most valuable canadian coins sold at auction in 2019 so far.

#1 - $735,000 CAD - 1 dollar 1911 PCGS SP-64 Pattern

1 dollar 1911 - Canada

This 1 dollar 1911 and Emperor of Canadian Numismatics, with only 2 silver examples known and only 1 in private hands was bought by Proof Positive Coins Ltd. and Gatewest Coins Ltd. on August 15 at the ANA World's Fair of Money in Chicago from the George Hans Cook Collection.

Previous auction sale of this coin was in January 2003, while the coin was still certified SP-65 by PCGS, and it sold at that time for approximately $1,066,000 CAD.


#2 - $415,272 CAD - 1 cent 1936 Dot PCGS SP-65

1 cent 1936 Dot - Canada

At one point in time, John Jay Pittman held all of the only 3 known examples of the 1-cent 1936 Dot coin from 1961 to 1996. For 35 years, this coin wasn't available to any collectors. The highest graded one, SP-65, was in the hand of George Cook from 2010 to 2019. It was downgraded from SP-66 to SP-65 because dipped to remove a fine layer of lacquer. It also sold at the ANA World's Fair of Money in Chicago during an auction held by Heritage Auctions.

January 3, 2010, from the Belzberg Collection, this same 1 cent 1936 Dot coin certified PCGS SP-66 Red was sold for $410,000 CAD.


#3 - $319,890 CAD - 50 cents 1921 PCGS MS-66

50 cents 1921 - Canada

Also called the King of Canadian Coins, fewer than 200 50 cents 1921 are believed to exist. About 200,000 of 1921 50-cents were produced, but since the demand for the new coins was very low, most of them remained in storage in the Mint. By 1929, when the demand for the fifty-cent coins improved and because the Mint feared that the public might question the authenticity of new-looking coins bearing old dates, the Deputy Master of the Mint ordered that the stock should be melted and that a portion of the melted silver should be used for producing new 50 cents dated 1929. It appears that most of the 1921 pieces were among those melted.

The MS-66 coin also sold at the ANA World's Fair of Money and another 50 cents 1921, PCGS MS-63+, also sold that day for $159,945 CAD. A VG-10 example sold for $65,550 CAD on November 22 at Scribner Auction Ltd. auction.


#4 - $261,000 CAD - 50 cents 1890H PCGS/ICCS MS-65

50 cents 1890H - Canada

From the 20,000 minted coins, only 3 50 cents 1890H have been graded in MS condition. This coin is the rarest Victoria fifty cents in high grades.

It was sold by The Canadian Numismatic Company during the Public Torex Auction in June. A MS-64 another example of this coin, survivor of the renowned Heaton Hoard discovered in 1974-75, sold in January 2010 by Heritage Auctions for $157,000 CAD.


#5 - $207,636 CAD - Gold Sovereign 1916C PCGS MS-66

Gold Sovereign 1916 - Canada

Only 6,111 Gold Sovereign were produced in 1916. This year, 4 of them were sold at auction:

  • January 7, 2019: NGC MS-61 - $30,324.00 CAD
  • March 22, 2019: PCGS AU-55 - $28,750.00 CAD
  • August 15, 2019: PCGS MS-66 - $207,636.00 CAD
  • September 15, 2019: PCGS MS-63 $38,332.80 CAD

#6 - $141,480 CAD - Gold Dollar 2003 PCGS PR-67

Gold 1 dollar 2003 - Canada

Only 1 produced by the Royal Canadian Mint. Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II this unique coin was produced with the intention of raising money for charity. The Mint used the dies that were created for the 2003 Special Edition Silver Dollar to strike just one example in gold which sold on Ebay at first. From the George Hans Cook Collection of Canadian Coinage, this coin sold on August, 2019 at the ANA World's Fair of Money in Chicago.


#7 - $87,846 CAD - 10 cents 1936 Dot PCGS SP-63+

10 cents 1936 Dot - Canada

Only three 1936 Dot 10 cents that exists outside of museum collections. This specimen was previously part of the Dominion Collection and sold on August 15 at the ANA World's Fair of Money in Chicago from the George Hans Cook Collection.

Early in 1936 Edward became king, succeeding his late father, George V. As was the usual practice, the coinage for the remainder of the year continued to bear the effigy of the deceased monarch, but by early December plans for the new Canadian coinage for Edward VIII were at an advanced stage. Edward's abdication, constitutional crisis and the shortage of coins early in 1937 forced Canadian authorities to continue producing coins dated 1936 and bearing the portrait of George V. In order to make these coins distinguishable from those actually produced in 1936, a tiny dot was placed on each of the reverse dies.


#8 - $76,375 CAD - 50 cents 1914 ICCS MS-66

50 cents 1914 - Canada

This is the single highest grade of a 50 cents 1914 certified by PCGS and ICCS. It sold at the Public Torex Auction in October by the The Canadian Numismatic Company. It was described by Michael Walsh as:

This magnificent example of the key date has a full strike and strongly lustrous, virtually flawless surfaces that are beautifully toned in light to medium olives and mauves with accents and overtones in iridescent ambers, pale blues, and greens.


#9 - $70,276.80 CAD - 25 cents 1875H PCGS SP-68

25 cents 1875H - Canada

From the George Hans Cook Collection of Canadian Coinage and previously from the Belzberg Collection, this 25 cents 1875H sold on August, 2019 at the ANA World's Fair of Money in Chicago.


#10 - $67,082.40 CAD - 5 cents 1921 PCGS MS-65

5 cents 1921 - Canada

In 1921, a legislation was passed to remove silver 5-cent coins and replace them with 21mm (instead 15.5mm) 100% nickel ones. At that time, the Mint melted more than 3 million of silver five cents coins which most of them were from 1921. Only 400 silver 5-cents coins are believed to have survived.

From the George Hans Cook Collection of Canadian Coinage, this coin also sold at the ANA World's Fair of Money.


#11 - $55,902 CAD - 50 cents 1905 PCGS MS-63

50 cents 1905 - Canada

Only 40,000 50 cents 1905 were minted. From the George Hans Cook Collection of Canadian Coinage, this coin sold on August, 2019 at the ANA World's Fair of Money in Chicago.


Honorable mentions

  • #12 - $53,550 CAD - 50 cents 1892 ICCS MS-64
  • #13 - $51,110.40 CAD - 25 cents 1906 PCGS MS-62
  • #14 - $51,110.40 CAD - 25 cents 1902 PCGS SP-68
  • #15 - $41,527.20 CAD - 5 cents 1858 PCGS MS-65PL

Pictures by Heritage Auctions and The Canadian Numismatic Company.

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