In the last year of the war the Royal Canadian Mint had better things to do than strike dollar coins. Demand was minimal, capacity belonged to the war effort, and the 1945 dollar's mintage stopped at 38,391 - the second-lowest of the series and the scarcest date without a die story attached. It is simply a coin almost nobody needed in a year when everybody was busy.
That ordinariness is its charm: no variety hunt, no transitional drama, just honest scarcity. It circulated alongside common dates and wore accordingly, so mid-grade survivors dominate and genuinely uncirculated pieces are the prizes.
The quiet second key. The 1945 gets less attention than the 1948 pair, which makes it the date where knowledgeable patience pays: the mintage is nearly as small, the story is simpler, and the market is calmer. Certification still earns its fee above mid-grade.
| Issue | Mint | Mintage |
|---|---|---|
| 1945 Canadian Silver Dollar | Ottawa | 38,391 |
Mintage figures: United States Mint (Annual Report of the Director of the Mint) and Royal Canadian Mint records, cross-checked across independent published references. Specifications: United States Mint coin specifications.