The dime's monetary value was set at one tenth of a dollar and these coins proudly featured England's then reigning Queen Victoria on its face. The original dimes were comprised of sterling silver. In 1908 with the opening of Canada's Royal Mint coins were then able to be minted within our country. The image of twin Maple Boughs were pressed into the other side of each dime produced at the Royal Canadian mint until 1936 when this Canadian coin updated its appearance.
The image of the Bluenose schooner design was added to each 10 cent piece minted at the Royal Canadian Mint created after 1937. Other than for a few commemorative year coins it is the image you will see there. The reigning British monarchy continued to be featured on the face of the Canadian ten cent coin.
From 1908 till 1919 the Canadian dime was comprised of a metal blend of 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper. From 1920 to 1967 the Canadian dime was comprised of an eighty percent silver and twenty percent copper blend.
It is the rising cost of precious metals which initiates the change of metal content in Canadian coins made after the 1967 Centennial year. Silver was becoming just too expensive to merit using for these small denomination coins. From 1968 onward the Canadian dime would no longer be comprised of silver but instead would be comprised largely of nickel or steel. From 1968 to the year 2000 the dime would contain 99.9 percent nickel, and after that date it would contain 92 percent steel and a remaining metal blend of copper and nickel.
The English Royalty which are displayed on the Canadian dime are as follows: 1858 to 1901 dimes display her Royal Majesty Queen Victoria, 1902 and 1910 - Edward Vll, 1911 to 1936 - George V, 1937 to 1952 - George V1, 1953 to present day - Queen Elizabeth.
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| Image: 1858 First Canadian Dime |
From 1910 to 1967 the Canadian dime weighed in at 2.33 grams and measuring 18.034 mm. In 1968 when the 10 cent coin had its metal composition changed so also did its size, the dime shrank and today weighs in at 1.75 grams and measures a mere 18.3 mm. (Photo Source: Jerry "Woody" [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)
Keep a watch on your pocket change for special or older coins that might show up there. Keep a guide book for Collectible coins handy and whenever you discover a coin in your pocket that appears just a little different from the others, look it up. You will be amazed at the coin collection that you can acquire by simply saving the older or rare coins that you can find in your pocket change.
A guide book is a valuable aide in helping you find those rare but valuable coins. Guide books for collecting Canadian Coins generally cover coinage across North America. As many coins have a tendency to travel between countries this guide makes it easy to identify rare or collectible coins which you might discover in your change. 1908, 1915, 1933, 1934, 1935, and 1948 are dates to watch for on the Canadian 10 cent coins in your change. The number of dimes minted in those years was much lower than on other years.
1908 - 776,666 dimes minted.
1915 - 688,057 dimes minted.
1933 - 672,368 dimes minted.
1934 - 409,067 dimes minted.
1935 - 384,056 dimes minted.
1948 - 422,741 dimes minted.
Collectible paper dollar money is especially vulnerable to damage and should receive special storage care. There are many dollar bill money envelopes and albums available to keep these collectibles safe. Find the one best suited to your needs and organize your collectible paper dollar bill money within them. Use coin albums to store your collectible coins and bills. This will help keep your collectible money organized and in good condition. There are a number of coin albums, storage pockets, display boxes, and envelopes available to protect your collectible coins.
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