Quarter (Canadian coin) facts for kids
Canada | |
Value | 0.25 Canadian dollar |
---|---|
Mass | 4.4 g |
Diameter | 23.88 mm |
Thickness | 1.58 mm |
Edge | Milled |
Composition | Nickel-plated steel 94% steel, 3.8% Cu, 2.2% Ni plating |
Years of minting | 1870–present |
Catalog number | – |
Obverse | |
Design | Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada |
Designer | Susanna Blunt |
Design date | 2003 |
Reverse | |
Design | Caribou |
Designer | Emmanuel Hahn |
Design date | 1937 |
The quarter, short for quarter dollar, is a Canadian coin worth 25 cents or one-fourth of a Canadian dollar. It is a small, circular coin of silver colour. According to the Royal Canadian Mint, the official name for the coin is the 25-cent piece, but in practice it is usually called a "quarter", much like its American counterpart. In Canadian French, it is called a caribou or trente sous ("thirty sous", based on the old exchange rate). The coin is produced at the Royal Canadian Mint's facility in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Contents
History of composition
Years | Mass | Diameter/shape | Composition |
---|---|---|---|
1870–1919 | 5.83 g | 23.62 mm | 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper |
1920–1967 | 5.83 g | 23.62 mm | 80% silver, 20% copper |
1967–1968 | 5.83 g | 23.88 mm | 50% silver, 50% copper |
1968–1999 | 5.05 g | 23.88 mm | 99.9% nickel |
2000–present | 4.40 g | 23.88 mm | 94.0% steel (AISI 1006 alloy), 3.8% copper, 2.2% nickel plating |
From 1920 until 1967 the quarter contained 0.15 troy ounces of silver—one quarter as much as the silver dollar (0.60 ozt), one half as much as the 50-cent piece, and 2+1⁄2 times more than the dime.
Commemorative reverses
Ordinarily featuring a caribou, the quarter has the most commonly altered reverse in Canada and is the usual venue for commemorative issues.
In 2004, a quarter was issued in honour of Remembrance Day, featuring a corn poppy on the reverse, a traditional symbol in Canada of that day. This resulted in a bizarre international incident, in which American military contractors unfamiliar with the coin's design believed these coins were outfitted with nanotechnology designed for espionage.
Single commemorative designs
Image | Year | Theme | Artist | Mintage | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1967 | Canada's Centennial | Alex Colville | 48,855,500 | The reverse features a Canada lynx. | |
1973 | 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police | Paul Cederberg | 134,958,587 | The reverse depicts a mounted RCMP officer. Obverse features Queen Elizabeth II. | |
2002 | Canadian Maple Leaf | Judith Chartier | 30,627,000 | The reverse depicts small human figures supporting a large maple leaf. | |
2004 | Acadia (Île Ste. Croix) | R.R. Carmichael, Stan Witten | 15,400,000 | The reverse depicts a 17th-century sailing ship, "La Bonne-Renommée" and the dates 1604–2004. | |
2004 | Remembrance Day | Cosme Saffioti, Stan Witten | 28,500,000 | The reverse features a corn poppy coloured red, the first coloured general circulation coin in the world. | |
2005 | Year of the Veteran | Elaine Gobel | 29,390,000 | The reverse features the conjoined busts of young and old veteran, facing left. | |
2006 | Pink Ribbon | Cosme Saffioti | 29,798,000 | The second colourized coin in general issue. The colouration is more scratch-resistant. | |
2006 | Medal of Bravery | RCM Engravers | 20,040,000 | The reverse features the design of a Medal of Bravery: a maple leaf within a wreath | |
2008 | Remembrance Day 90th anniversary | Cosme Saffioti, Stan Witten | 11,300,000 | Re-issue of 2004 design (but with a superior red poppy process & appearance), with "1918 Armistice" added to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the end of World War I. | |
2010 | 65th anniversary of World War II | Cosme Saffioti | 10,978,000 | Features a soldier with a bowed head and hands on a rifle in front of a maple leaf. Two coloured poppies are on each side of the soldier. | |
2013 | 100th anniversary of the Canadian Arctic Expedition | Bonnie Ross | 12,500,000 | Features two varieties of frosted accents. | |
2013 | Life in the North | Tim Pitsiulak | 12,500,000 | Features two varieties of frosted accents. One with frosted Bowhead whale and the other with frosted Belugas. | |
2015 | 50th anniversary of the Canadian flag | Bonnie Ross | 12,500,000 | Features fifty children holding the flag of Canada. Half were issued colourized. | |
2015 | 100th anniversary of the writing of In Flanders Field | Laurie McGaw | 12,500,000 | Features a poppy. Half were issued colourized. | |
2017 | Canada 150 | Joelle Wong | 20,000,000 | Features a turtle, bird and beaver, all decorated with aboriginal patterns, reaching toward a plant growing out from a pair of hands to symbolize how all Canadians are connected in protecting Canada's future. The theme of the coin is "Canada's Future". | |
2017 | 125th anniversary of the Stanley Cup | Steve Hepburn | 12,500,000 | Features the Stanley Cup, flanked by two hockey players; on the left is a player who would have vied for the trophy in its early days, and on the right is a hockey player from today's era. |
1992: 125th anniversary of Confederation
In 1992, to celebrate the 125th anniversary of Confederation, the Mint released twelve commemorative coins, one for each Canadian province and territory at the time. These were the inspiration for the US 50 State Quarters program of 1999–2008. Nunavut, which separated from the Northwest Territories seven years later in 1999, was honoured with a special $2 coin.
Image | Date of Issue | Province/territory | Artist | Mintage | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
June 4, 1992 | Alberta | Mel Heath | 12,133,000 | The Alberta badlands | |
December 9, 1992 | British Columbia | Carla Egan | 14,001,000 | An orca surfacing with the Coast Mountains in the distance | |
April 7, 1992 | Manitoba | Muriel Hope | 11,349,000 | A Hudson's Bay Company fort | |
January 9, 1992 | New Brunswick | Ronald Lambert | 12,174,000 | The Oldfields Covered Bridge | |
March 5, 1992 | Newfoundland and Labrador | Christoper Newhook | 11,405,000 | A fisherman in a dory | |
February 6, 1992 | Northwest Territories | Beth McEachen | 12,582,000 | An inuksuk | |
September 9, 1992 | Nova Scotia | Bruce Wood | 13,600,000 | The Peggys Point Lighthouse at Peggy's Cove | |
August 6, 1992 | Ontario | Greg Salmela | 14,263,000 | A windswept tree on the Canadian Shield | |
July 7, 1992 | Prince Edward Island | Nigel Roe | 13,001,000 | The province's distinctive coastline | |
October 1, 1992 | Quebec | Romualdas Bukauskas | 13,607,000 | Sailboats at Percé Rock | |
November 5, 1992 | Saskatchewan | Brian Cobb | 14,165,000 | Ears of wheat, grain elevators, and a train of Canadian Wheat Board hopper cars | |
May 7, 1992 | Yukon | Libby Dulac | 10,388,000 | The Kaskawulsh Glacier |
1999–2000: millennium quarters
In April 1998, the Mint announced the "Millennium Coin Design Contest", a contest open to all Canadians to submit designs for twenty-four millennium quarters, one for each month of 1999 and 2000. The 1999 designs were meant to look back on Canada's past, while the 2000 designs looked to the future. While the 1999 coins were labeled with their month of issue, the 2000 coins were labeled with the relevant theme.
Image | Date of issue | Theme | Artist | Mintage | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
January 5, 1999 | A Country Unfolds | Peter Ka-Kin Poon | 12,181,200 | January 1999 | |
February 1, 1999 | Etched in Stone | Lonnie Springer | 14,469,250 | February 1999 | |
The Log Drive | Marjolaine Lavoie | 15,033,500 | March 1999 | ||
March 30, 1999 | Our Northern Heritage | Kenojuak Ashevak | 15,446,000 | April 1999 | |
May 3, 1999 | The Voyageurs | Sergiy Minenok | 15,566,100 | May 1999 | |
June 2, 1999 | From Coast to Coast | Gordon Ho | 20,432,750 | June 1999 | |
July 1, 1999 | A Nation of People | Maria H. Sarkany | 17,321,000 | July 1999 | |
August 3, 1999 | The Pioneer Spirit | Alzira Botelho | 18,153,700 | August 1999 | |
August 27, 1999 | Canada Through a Child's Eye | Claudia Bertrand | 31,539,350 | September 1999 | |
October 4, 1999 | A Tribute to First Nations | Jason Edward Read | 32,136,650 | October 1999 | |
The Airplane Opens the North | Brian R. Bacon | 27,162,800 | November 1999 | ||
This Is Canada | J.L. Pierre Provencher | 43,339,200 | December 1999 | ||
January 6, 2000 | Pride
Red colour was added to the two on maple leaf |
Donald F. Warkentin | 50,666,800 | January 2000 | |
February 4, 2000 | Ingenuity | John Jaciw | 36,078,360 | February 2000 | |
Achievement | Daryl Ann Dorosz | 35,312,750 | March 2000 | ||
April 5, 2000 | Health | Anny Wassef | 35,470,900 | April 2000 | |
Natural Legacy | Randy Trantau | 36,236,900 | May 2000 | ||
June 1, 2000 | Harmony | Haver Demirer | 35,184,200 | June 2000 | |
June 29, 2000 | Celebration
Red colour was added to the flag |
Laura Paxton | 35,144,100 | July 2000 | |
August 1, 2000 | Family | Wade Stephen Baker | 35,107,700 | August 2000 | |
September 6, 2000 | Wisdom | Cezar Şerbănescu | 35,123,950 | September 2000 | |
October 4, 2000 | Creativity | Eric (Kong Tat) Hui | 35,316,770 | October 2000 | |
November 1, 2000 | Freedom | Kathy Vinish | 35,188,900 | November 2000 | |
December 4, 2000 | Community | Michelle Thibodeau | 35,155,400 | December 2000 |
2005: Alberta and Saskatchewan centennials
In 2005, to celebrate the centennials of the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, two commemorative quarters were issued. The public was given the opportunity to vote on the coin design through two toll-free phone numbers.
There were four candidate designs for the Alberta quarter: Big Sky Country, Alberta's Natural Beauty, A Dynamic Century, and Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep. The winning design was Big Sky Country, by Michelle Grant, and depicted an oil derrick with cattle grazing at its base. The coin had a mintage of 20,640,000.
There were three candidate designs for the Saskatchewan quarter: The Western Meadowlark, Canada Geese over Wascana Lake, and The Round Dance Celebration. The winning design was Western Meadowlark, designed by Paulette Sapergia. The coin's mintage was 19,290,000.
Image | Date of issue | Province | Artist | Mintage | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
July 19, 2005 | Alberta | Michelle Grant | 20,640,000 | ||
July 13, 2005 | Saskatchewan | Paulette Sapergia | 19,290,000 |
2007–2010: Vancouver Olympics 2010
Image | Date of Issue | Sport | Artist | Mintage | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
February 23, 2007 | Curling | Glen Green | 22,400,000 | ||
April 3, 2007 | Ice hockey | Glen Green | 22,400,000 | ||
July 11, 2007 | Wheelchair curling | Glen Green | 22,400,000 | ||
September 12, 2007 | Biathlon | Glen Green | 22,400,000 | ||
October 24, 2007 | Alpine skiing | Glen Green | 22,400,000 | ||
February 20, 2008 | Snowboarding | Glen Green | 22,400,000 | ||
April 16, 2008 | Freestyle skiing | Glen Green | 22,400,000 | ||
November 18, 2008 | Figure skating | Glen Green | 22,400,000 | ||
2008 | Bobsleigh | Glen Green | 22,400,000 | ||
January 15, 2009 | Cross-country skiing | Glen Green | 22,400,000 | ||
March 12, 2009 | Speed skating | Glen Green | 22,400,000 | ||
2009 | Sledge hockey | Glen Green | 22,400,000 | ||
September 29, 2009 | Men's ice hockey | J.B. & RCM engravers | 19,000,000 | ||
September 29, 2009 | Men's ice hockey – colourized (red) | J.B. & RCM engravers | 3,000,000 | ||
November 17, 2009 | Women's ice hockey | J.B. & RCM engravers | 19,000,000 | ||
November 17, 2009 | Women's ice hockey – colourized (red) | J.B. & RCM engravers | 3,000,000 | ||
January 5, 2010 | Cindy Klassen | Jason Bouwman | 19,000,000 | ||
January 5, 2010 | Cindy Klassen – colourized (red) | Jason Bouwman | 3,000,000 |
2011: Legendary Nature
Image | Date of issue | Animal | Artist | Mintage | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
January 2011 | Wood bison | Nolin BBDO Montreal | 6,250,000 | ||
January 2011 | Wood bison – colourized (green) | Nolin BBDO Montreal | 6,250,000 | ||
February 2011 | Orca | Nolin BBDO Montreal | 6,250,000 | ||
February 2011 | Orca – colourized (blue) | Nolin BBDO Montreal | 6,250,000 | ||
March 2011 | Peregrine falcon | Nolin BBDO Montreal | 6,250,000 | ||
March 2011 | Peregrine falcon – colourized (yellow) | Nolin BBDO Montreal | 6,250,000 |
2012: War of 1812 bicentennial
Image | Date of Issue | Hero | Artist | Mintage | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
October 13, 2012 | Sir Isaac Brock | Bonnie Ross | 6,250,000 | ||
October 13, 2012 | Sir Isaac Brock – colourized (red maple leaf from the War of 1812 logo) | Bonnie Ross | 6,250,000 | ||
November 19, 2012 | Tecumseh | Bonnie Ross | 6,250,000 | ||
November 19, 2012 | Tecumseh – colourized (red maple leaf from the War of 1812 logo) | Bonnie Ross | 6,250,000 | ||
March 18, 2013 | Charles-Michel de Salaberry | Bonnie Ross | 6,250,000 | ||
March 18, 2013 | Charles-Michel de Salaberry – colourized (red maple leaf from the War of 1812 logo) | Bonnie Ross | 6,250,000 | ||
June 22, 2013 | Laura Secord | Bonnie Ross | 6,250,000 | ||
June 22, 2013 | Laura Secord – colourized (red maple leaf from the War of 1812 logo) | Bonnie Ross | 6,250,000 |
First strikes
Year | Theme | Mintage | Issue price |
---|---|---|---|
2004 | The Poppy | 9,928 | $19.95 |
2004 | Moose | 1,907 | $14.95 |
2005 | Alberta centennial | 8,936 | $14.95 |
2005 | Saskatchewan centennial | 6,926 | $14.95 |
2005 | Year of the Veteran | 7,820 | $14.95 |
2006 | Medal of Bravery | 5,000 | $15.95 |
2006 | New Mint mark | 5,000 | $29.95 |
2006 | Pink ribbon | 20,000 | $15.95 |
Olympic first strikes
Year | Sport | Artist | Mintage | Issue price | Release date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2007 | Curling | Glen Green | 10,000 | $15.95 | February 24 |
2007 | Ice hockey | Glen Green | 10,000 | $15.95 | April 4 |
2007 | Paralympic curling | Glen Green | 10,000 | $15.95 | July 11 |
2007 | Biathlon | Glen Green | 10,000 | $15.95 | September 12 |
2007 | Alpine skiing | Glen Green | 10,000 | $15.95 | October 24 |
Canada Day
Since 2000, the RCM has been issuing colourized quarters on Canada Day with designs aimed to attract young collectors. As with other collector coins issued by the RCM, the Canada Day series coins are non-circulating legal tender.
Year | Theme | Artist | Mintage | Issue price | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | Millennium coloured coin "Canada Day" | Laura Paxton | 26,106 | $8.95 | First Canada Day coin |
2001 | Canada Day coloured coin | Silke Ware | 96,352 | $9.95 | Reverse features a maple leaf in the center, with children holding hands below. |
2002 | Canada Day coloured coin | Judith Chartier | 49,901 | $9.95 | Version without colour was circulated. Reverse features human figures supporting a large red maple leaf. |
2003 | Canada Day coloured coin | Jade Pearen | 63,511 | $9.95 | Reverse shows a polar bear and red coloured maple leaves. |
2004 | Canada Day coloured coin | Cosme Saffioti | 44,752 | $9.95 | Reverse shows a stylized moose head. |
2004 | Canada Day multi-ply plated steel | Nick Wooster | 29,762 | $24.95 | Part of Canada Day bundle |
2005 | Canada Day coin | Stan Witten | 58,370 | $9.95 | Reverse features a stylized beaver with coloured maple leaf shirt. |
2006 | Canada Day coin (coloured featuring two children holding a Canadian flag) | Stan Witten | 30,328 | $9.95 | Packaged with four Crayola crayons. Reverse features two children waving the Canadian flag. |
2007 | Canada Day coin (coloured featuring RCMP) | José Osio | 27,743 | $9.95 | Packaged with tattoos |
2008 | Canada Day coin (coloured featuring a cool moose in shades with his cap on backwards) | Stan Witten | 11,538 | $9.95 | Packaged with tattoos |
2009 | Canada Day coin (coloured featuring caricatures of the circulation-coin animals polar bear, beaver, loon and caribou, all in a schooner) | RCM Engravers | 11,091 | $14.95 | Packaged with a postcard and a magnetic frame with character magnets |
Other notable dates
- The 1906 Small Crown is valued in the thousands of dollars even for very poor conditions.
- 1936 marked two valuable variations, the Bar and the Dot, both trend for over $1,000 in uncirculated condition.
- The 1951 Low Relief was predominantly only made available in proof-like sets and have a mintage of around 500.
- The 1973 Large Bust is among the most desired Canadian Quarter. They sell for around $300 in Proof Like or Specimen condition and can sell in the thousands for high-end circulation strikes.
- The 1991 quarter had a low mintage, of 459,000
- The 1992 New Brunswick quarter has several rotated die versions, with the 180-degree rotation selling for between $100 and $200 in uncirculated condition.
- 1999 featured mule versions of the September and November quarters. These coins do not have the 25 CENTS mark on them, making them legal tender without face value. Either usually sells for over $10 depending on the condition of the coin. The Royal Canadian Mint estimates a combined mintage of 10,000 to 50,000 of the September and November mules.
- The 2000 Millennium Map mule. Highly sought after by collectors, this is a modern rarity with about 100 known examples, as referenced in population reports of coin certification services (ICCS, CCCS, PCGS, NGC).
- 2000P Caribou: two examples are known to exist. They fetch $40,000 or more (ICCS has graded both in MS-64: ICCS 2010 Population report). Both are in private collections.
- 2000P Creativity: two are known to exist. They fetch $15,000 to $20,000 (ICCS has graded one in MS-62 and the other in MS-66: ICCS 2010 Population report).
- 2000P Community: five are known to exist. They fetch $12,000 to $15,000 (ICCS has graded one in MS-60, two in MS-62, and two in MS-63: ICCS 2010 Population report).
The Tooth Fairy and Friends
Starting in 2011, the mint began selling special sets for newborn babies, birthdays, wedding anniversaries, "Oh Canada" and the Tooth Fairy. The tooth fairy quarters also come packaged separately.
Facts
- The first commemorative coins were planned for 1927 to celebrate Canada's 60th anniversary. A contest was held and the winner for the twenty-five-cent coin was J.A.H. MacDonald; however, the Mint decided to not turn the design into coinage.
- When coinage was changed in 1937, the caribou (currently on the quarter) was originally planned for the five-cent coin, the beaver (nickel) was planned for the ten-cent coin, and the Bluenose (dime) was planned for the twenty-five-cent coin.
- The lowest mintage of any circulated quarter post-World War II was in 1991; low mintage was attributed to a work stoppage and using up stock in preparation for the release of the commemorative quarters the following year. The total mintage was a mere 459,000 including collector sets and proofs.
- Canadian quarters were not issued into circulation in 1997 and 1998. In 1997, only 525,257 quarters were produced. In 1998, only 395,617 quarters were produced; even fewer than in 1991. All of them were issued in collector sets or proofs and none were issued into circulation.
- The caribou on the 25-cent piece dates back to 1936 when a change in the sovereign's image on circulation currency prompted the Canadian government to modify the designs on the reverse side of coins as well. The caribou design was created by Canadian artist Emanuel Hahn, initially used in 1937. It has been temporarily replaced in some years; in 1967 for the Canadian centennial (with a Canada lynx), in 1973 to celebrate the centennial of the North-West Mounted Police, in 1992 for Canada's 125th anniversary, and in 1999 and 2000 by the winning designs of the Millennium coin program.