JarSort · Inherited coin values
1921 Canadian 5-cent value
The 1921 Canadian silver 5-cent piece is the 'Prince of Canadian Coins' — only a few hundred are believed to survive, and a Good-4 example guides at CA$3,920 and up (about US$2,800). A common-date Canadian 5-cent piece from the same era is worth $2–$4. The difference is the date, and the date is everything.
The three numbers that matter
Prices as of Oct 24, 2026 · Silver spot $53.80/ozt (Kitco) · Circulated, common date, problem-free, raw (uncertified) unless stated
There is no 1921–1967 .800 silver 5-cent piece: the 1921 is a sterling key date, and the denomination was replaced by the nickel 5-cent piece in 1922. Any 1921 5-cent piece deserves an in-person expert opinion before it goes anywhere else.
Why the 1921 is the 'Prince'
Canada stopped making the small silver 5-cent piece ('fishscale') after 1921 and switched to a larger nickel coin in 1922. Most of the 1921 mintage was melted, and only a few hundred are believed to survive. It is the most famous Canadian rarity in a small denomination — and one of the most copied.
How to tell it
A genuine 1921 5-cent piece is a tiny sterling-silver coin (15.5 mm, 1.17 g) with George V on the obverse and the denomination in a wreath on the reverse. It is not magnetic. The date must read clearly as 1921 — a worn 1912 or 1927 is not a 1921.
What to do with it
- Do not clean it.
- Get it authenticated. The 1921 is heavily counterfeited, including altered dates. A certified holder (PCGS/NGC/ICCS) is essential — a raw 1921 sells at a steep discount because the buyer must price in authentication risk.
- Get two offers from dealers who handle Canadian rarities.
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