Worth about £3.76 in circulated condition. 71,464,000 were minted.
The obverse carries the 2nd portrait of Elizabeth II by Arnold Machin, a more mature depiction showing the Queen wearing a tiara, while the reverse retains the celebrated caribou head designed by Emanuel Hahn, one of the most enduring and admired motifs in Canadian numismatics. Because the .500 silver pieces and the later nickel pieces share identical designs, collectors rely on simple tests to tell them apart: the silver coins are not attracted to a magnet, while their nickel counterparts are, and the silver examples often show a slightly warmer, softer tone. As one of the final expressions of silver in everyday Canadian coinage, this type holds a special place for specialists assembling complete caribou series, for those studying the end of the silver era in North America, and for anyone drawn to the metallic and historical story told by Canada's changing pocket change.
Written with AI from catalogue data. Sentences that contradict this coin's year, denomination, finish, mintage or value are removed automatically; the rest has not been checked by a person. How we value coins
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