The 50-cent piece, not the most visible of Canadian coins and no longer the silver beauty it originally was, may soon disappear, according to the Royal Canadian Mint.
Composed of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper when it first went into circulation in 1870, the half-dollar is today made almost entirely (99% minimum) of nickel, one of two base metals which figure prominently in the manufacture of Canadian coins (the other metal being copper).
In 1920, a new version of the 50-cent piece comprising 80% silver and 20% copper was introduced; that coin lasted until the end of 1967, when the nickel pocket-piece replaced it.
The 50-cent piece weighs more than the dollar coin introduced in 1987 by Ottawa; the new dollar coin (or “loonie,” as it is sometimes called) is composed mainly of nickel, with a copper-tin coating representing 8.5% of the total weight of the new coin.
The 25-cent piece and the 10-cent piece are today composed almost exclusively of nickel, while the 5-cent piece, or “nickel,” is made of 75% copper and only 25% nickel.
The one-cent piece is 98% copper, 1.75% zinc and 0.25% bronze.
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