The 1911 Canadian coinage series omitted the Latin phrase "Dei Gratia" — "by the Grace of God" — from George V's titles, a decision made during the coin's design phase that triggered immediate public backlash. Critics called them "godless coins," and the outcry was loud enough that the Royal Canadian Mint corrected the omission for 1912. The 50-cent piece shares this distinction with the other denominations of that year, but the half-dollar saw a mintage of only 209,418 — making it the scarcest of the "godless" series by a considerable margin.
The 1911 Canadian coinage series omitted the Latin phrase "Dei Gratia" — "by the Grace of God" — from George V's titles, a decision made during the coin's design phase that triggered immediate public backlash. Critics called them "godless coins," and the outcry was loud enough that the Royal Canadian Mint corrected the omission for 1912. The 50-cent piece shares this distinction with the other denominations of that year, but the half-dollar saw a mintage of only 209,418 — making it the scarcest of the "godless" series by a considerable margin.