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Quarter (Canadian coin)

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(Redirected from Canadian quarter) For commemorative currency of the same denomination, see Quarter (Canadian commemorative coin). Canadian coin worth 25 cents

Quarter
Canada
Value0.25 Canadian dollar
Mass4.4 g
Diameter23.88 mm
Thickness1.58 mm
EdgeMilled
CompositionNickel-plated steel
94% steel,
3.8% Cu,
2.2% Ni plating
Years of minting1870–present
Obverse
DesignCharles III, King of Canada
DesignerMartin Jennings
Design date2023
Reverse
DesignCaribou
DesignerEmmanuel Hahn
Design date1937

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. The coin is produced at the mint's facility in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

History

Early coinage (1870–1910)

The first coinage minted for what would later become the Canadian Confederation originated in legislation enacted in 1853. Per the Act 16 Vict. c. 158, the Province of Canada was to issue "dollars, cents, and mills" that would co-circulate with English shillings and pence. While bronze and silver coins were initially struck at the Royal Mint in 1858, these only included currency up to twenty-cents. When the first coinage for the Dominion of Canada was struck in 1870, only silver coins were issued, which included a twenty-five cent piece in substitution for the twenty-cent coin. This denomination change brought the new monetary system, which was based on the United States gold dollar concurrently with the British sovereign, into conformity with the United States quarter. In a related event, the Canadian government also issued twenty-five cent notes to provide the country with fractional currency. By doing so, this relieved the "strain consequent" upon the removal from circulation of United States silver.

Canadian quarters initially weighed 89.66 grains and were roughly 24 mm in diameter with a plain edge. The obverse featured a portrait of Queen Victoria (designed by Leonard C. Wyon) wearing a tiara, while the reverse had the denomination and date under a crown within a wreath. Public opinion of this new coin was positive as the American Journal of Numismatics and Bulletin of American Numismatic and Archæological Societies noted that the quarter was considered "more convenient than the old twenty cent piece". In 1871, two varieties of quarters co-circulated: those without a mintmark were made by the Royal Mint, while "H" marked coins were made in Birmingham, England, by Ralph Heaton & Sons. Heaton & Sons continued to mint only "H" marked quarters for 1872. No quarters were struck by the Royal Mint or Heaton for Canada in 1873 as there was an increased demand for "Imperial coinage". Heaton continued to mint quarters for Canada afterward from 1874 to 1883. There was a four-year hiatus during this period as the coins were transitioned from a plan to a milled edge.

Enlargements to the facilities at the Royal Mint were completed in 1883, which meant they could handle Canadian coin production. Quarters that date from 1884 to 1889 were all struck at the Royal Mint in London before Heaton was called for again. The Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Montreal commented in their entry for 1890 that this choice indicated that there was a rush of business at the Royal Mint that year. Coinage returned to the Royal Mint in 1891 and Canadian quarters were struck there through the remainder of Queen Victoria's reign. When Edward VII ascended to the throne in 1901, a new obverse portrait for the quarter was used. British medalist George William de Saulles designed a right-facing bust of the king surrounded by the words "Edwardus VII Dei gratia Rex Imperator". Canadian quarters continued to be struck in England until 1907 with the opening of the Ottawa Mint. When Edward VII died in 1910, a controversy arose in the following year with a new portrait design for George V.

Georgian coinage (1911–1952)

King George V's portrait was designed by Australian sculptor and medalist Bertram Mackennal with the words "Georgius V Rex et Ind:Imp:"; however, this was criticized by the public as the decision to omit "Dei gratia" (by the grace of God) was called "godless" and "graceless". As a result, the words Dei gra were added into the design the following year. On May 11, 1920, a new coinage act was put into place that affected the amount of silver in the quarter. While the previous "British standard" fineness of .925 silver (sterling) was reduced to .800, the weight and diameter of the quarter remained the same. This act was put into place as the price of silver had risen due to the aftermath of World War I. No quarters were minted between 1921 and 1927 as the rising price of silver made them unprofitable. When quarter production resumed in 1927, the Royal Canadian Mint initially planned to strike commemorative coins to celebrate Canada's 60th anniversary. Although a winning design was chosen for the quarter, it was never used as the plan was scrapped.

No more proposed changes to the quarter were made during the remaining years of King George V's reign. When he died in January 1936, his son Edward VIII assumed the throne but soon abdicated in December 1936. After his brother George VI assumed the throne on December 11, 1936, a new effigy was needed for Canadian coinage. As it was late in the year, the Royal Mint could not immediately make coins with a die depicting the new king with a 1937 date. It was instead decided by the mint to continue minting 1936 dated quarters with a dot added below the date on the reverse which signified that they were made in 1937. The new effigy of George VI was designed by Humphrey Paget and was ready for use later in the year. The king is shown on the obverse side facing left, with the inscription "Georgius VI D:G: Rex Et Ind:Imp:". During this time, new reverse designs were also planned for circulating denominations below fifty cents. Initial proposals included a caribou design for the five-cent coin, a beaver design for the ten-cent coin, and the Bluenose for the twenty-five-cent coin. After some debate, the head of a caribou was designed by Canadian sculptor Emanuel Hahn for the quarter.

India's declaration of independence in 1947 affected the quarter, as the words Ind:Imp: (Emperor of India) had to be removed from the obverse of the coin. This change was made under article 7.2 of the Parliament of the United Kingdom's Indian Independence Act 1947. As the dies omitting the title were not immediately ready for use, a small maple leaf was added next to the 1947 dated coins on the reverse for quarters minted into 1948. King George VI died in 1952 and a new obverse effigy featuring Queen Elizabeth II appeared in the following year.

Elizabeth II (1953–1989)

The first effigy of Queen Elizabeth II was designed by sculptor and medalist Mary Gillick, who chose to depict the queen at 27 years old facing right. As with the previous monarchs, her effigy is surrounded with Latin text which reads "Elizabeth II Dei Gratia Regina" (Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, Queen). For Canadian coinage, this marked the first time that master dies were made at the Royal Canadian Mint. During production, the diameter of the quarter was increased from 23.6 to 23.9 mm. For reasons unknown, these were also struck in two major varieties, "with a shoulder fold" and "without a shoulder fold" (or strap) on the new effigy. While quarters dated 1954 have a low mintage, an increased demand for small change (felt most with dimes and quarters) boosted production by 50% in the following year. In 1964, Queen Elizabeth approved a second effigy of herself on Canadian coinage which was made by British artist and sculptor Arnold Machin. This second bust features the Queen facing right while wearing a tiara surrounded by Latin text where "Dei Gratia" is abbreviated again to read "D.G."

When silver prices rose sharply in the mid-1960s, the Canadian government initially set 1966 as a proposed transition year for an alternative alloy for coinage. This proposed year in actuality is when a government committee was formed on the matter and nickel was chosen to replace silver. Two major events regarding the Canadian quarter occurred in 1967. During this year Canada celebrated it's centennial with special circulating commemoratives. According to James A. Haxby of the Roal Canadian Mint, a prowling bobcat was chosen for the centennial quarter to express "intelligent independence and decisive action". At the same time, the silver content was lowered from 80% to 50% by a proclamation which was authorized on August 17, 1967. This mid-year change meant that two varieties were produced that differ in their silver content. A similar event occurred in 1968 as the quarter was transitioned from 50% silver to pure nickel.

The caribou design continued to be used until 1973 when the quarter got a special commemorative design which honored the centennial of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. During this time, Queen Elizabeth's obverse bust was modified to be slightly smaller. These changes took full effect when the caribou design was restored to the reverse in the following year. Halfway through the decade, in April 1975, Canadian quarters were produced at the newly constructed mint facility in Winnipeg. Although nickel was by then dominant, silver quarters of both amounts (50% and 80%) continued to circulate until at least 1979. It was estimated by the mid-1980s that it cost the mint five cents to produce a nickel-alloyed quarter.

Elizabeth II (1990–2022)

In 1990, a third effigy of the Queen was used for Canadian quarters, designed by Hungarian-Canadian sculptor Dora de Pedery-Hunt. This third design depicts Elizabeth II when she was 64 years old surrounded by the previously used Latin script. The lowest mintage of any circulated quarter post–World War II occurred in 1991 as the Royal Canadian Mint prepared resources for the following year. For this event, Canada celebrated its 125th anniversary in 1992 by minting twelve circulating commemorative quarters.

Composition and size

Years Mass Diameter Composition
1870–1910 5.81 g 23.62 mm 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper
1910–1919 5.83 g 23.62 mm 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper
1920–1952 5.83 g 23.62 mm 80% silver, 20% copper
1953–1967 5.83 g 23.88 mm 80% silver, 20% copper
1967–1968 5.05 g 23.88 mm 50% silver, 50% copper
1968–2001 5.05 g 23.88 mm 99.9% nickel
2001–present 4.40 g 23.88 mm 94.0% steel, 3.8% copper, 2.2% nickel plating

Circulation figures

Victoria & Edward VII

Year Mintage
1870 900,000
1871 400,000
1871 H 748,000
1872 H 2,240,000
1874 H 1,600,000
1875 H 1,000,000
1880 H 400,000
1881 H 820,000
1882 H 600,000
1883 H 960,000
1885 192,000
1886 540,000
1887 100,000
1888 400,000
1889 66,324
1890 H 200,000
1891 120,000
1892 510,000
1893 100,000
1894 220,000
1899 415,580
1900 1,320,000
1901 Victoria 640,000
1902 Edward VII 464,000
1902 H 800,000
1903 846,150
1904 400,000
1905 800,000
1906 1,237,843
1907 2,088,000
1908 495,016
1909 1,335,929
1910 3,577,569

George V & George VI

A 1917 quarter featuring King George V
Year Mintage
1911 – No "Dei gratia" 1,721,341
1912 – With "Dei gra." 2,544,199
1913 2,213,595
1914 1,215,397
1915 242,382
1916 1,462,566
1917 3,365,644
1918 4,175,649
1919 5,852,262
1920 1,975,278
1921 597,337
1927 468,096
1928 2,114,178
1929 2,690,562
1930 968,748
1931 537,815
1932 537,994
1933 421,282
1934 384,350
1935 537,772
1936 George V 972,094
1936 George V (dot) 153,322
1937 George VI 2,689,813
1938 3,149,245
1939 3,532,495
1940 9,583,650
1941 6,654,672
1942 6,935,871
1943 13,559,575
1944 7,216,237
1945 5,296,495
1946 2,210,810
1947 1,524,554
1947 ML 4,393,938
1948 2,564,424
1949 7,988,630
1950 9,673,335
1951 8,290,710
1952 8,859,642

Elizabeth II

Canadian Centennial quarter
Year Mintage Notes
1953 No strap 10,546,769 These varieties are also referred to as "with shoulder fold" and "without shoulder fold".
1953 Strap
1954 2,318,891
1955 9,552,505
1956 11,269,353
1957 12,770,190
1958 9,336,910
1959 13,503,461
1960 22,835,327
1961 18,164,368
1962 29,559,266
1963 21,180,652
1964 36,479,343 1st obverse portrait
1965 44,708,869 2nd obverse portrait
1966 25,626,315
1967 80% silver 48,855,500 These quarters feature a Canadian Lynx on the reverse, and are dated 1867–1967 to reflect the Canadian Centennial. The mintage figure includes both 80% and 50% silver coins.
1967 50% silver
1968 50% silver 71,464,000
1968 nickel 88,686,931
1969 133,037,929
1970 10,302,010
1971 48,170,428
1972 43,743,387
1973 Large bust 134,958,587 Quarters dated 1973 have "large" and "small" bust varieties of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse while the reverse depicts a mounted RCMP officer.
1973 Small bust
1974 192,360,598
1975 141,148,000
1976 86,898,261
1977 99,634,555
1978 176,475,408
1979 131,042,905
1980 76,178,000
1981 131,580,272
1982 171,926,000
1983 13,162,000
1984 121,668,000
1985 158,734,000
1986 132,220,000
1987 53,408,000
1988 80,368,473
1989 119,796,307 2nd obverse portrait
1990 31,258,000 3rd obverse portrait
1991 459,000 Production was low this year as resources were prepared for the following year's commemorative coins.
1992 — To celebrate the 125th anniversary of Confederation, the Royal Canadian Mint released twelve commemorative coins. The Royal Canadian Mint struck no quarters with the caribou design.
1993 73,758,000
1994 77,670,000
1995 89,210,000
1996 28,106,000
1997 Not circulated
1998 Not circulated
1999 caribou 258,888,000 An estimated 20,000 quarters are dated 1999 (P).
2000 caribou 434,087,000 Only 3 to 5 2000 (P) quarters are known.
2001 caribou 8,415,000 Struck in nickel
2001 P 55,773,000 Struck in nickel-plated steel (P)
2002 P 156,105,000
2002 P (GJ) 152,485,000 Dated 1952–2002 to reflect Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee
2003 P Crowned 87,647,000 Crowned 3rd obverse portrait
2003 P Uncrowned 66,861,633 Uncrowned 4th obverse portrait
2004 P 177,466,000
2005 P 206,346,000
2006 P 423,189,000
2007 caribou 386,763,000 The nickel-plated steel "P" mark (below bust on obverse) was dropped and replaced by an RCM logo.
2008 caribou 387,222,000
2009 caribou 266,766,000
2010 caribou 167,500,000
2011 caribou 212,970,000
2012 caribou 178,450,000
2013 118,480,000
2014 97,440,000
2015 97,320,000
2016 106,880,000
2017 110,720,000
2018 102,560,000
2019 80,160,000
2020 96,000,000
2021 110,560,000
2022 91,680,000

Charles III

Year Mintage
2023 80,510,000
2024 TBA
2025 TBA

Notes

  1. These numbers are rounded.
  2. The steel used for manufacturing is patented as: "AISI 1006 alloy".
  3. These figures include the 1872: inverted "A" for "V" in Victoria, the 1880: "narrow" and "wide" 0, and 1906: "large" and rare "small" crown varieties.
  4. The "H" on the coin refers to "Ralph Heaton & Sons".
  5. The words "Dei gratia" were removed from the obverse of the coin to make room for "Ind:Imp:" (Emperor of India). It was restored in 1912 after public backlash.
  6. This coin has a "dot" below the wreath on the reverse.
  7. ^ Three different varieties were created during this year. There are 1947 dated quarters, 1947 dated quarters with a "dot after 7" (in 1947), and those with a maple leaf after the "7". Maple leaf coins omit "IND: IMP:" aka Indiae Imperator (Emperor of India) on the obverse.
  8. Unless mentioned otherwise, all of these quarters feature a Caribou on the reverse.

References

  1. ^ William John Hocking (1906). Catalogue of the Coins, Tokens, Medals, Dies, and Seals in the Museum of the Royal Mint. Vol. 1. H.M. Stationery Office. pp. 305–306.
  2. Special Consular Reports. Vol. 13. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1896. p. 37.
  3. ^ American Journal of Numismatics, and Bulletin of American Numismatic and Archæological Societies. Vol. 17–19. T.R. Marvin & Son. 1883. p. 55.
  4. ^ "Canada 25 Cents KM# 5 1870". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  5. ^ Journal of the Canadian Bankers' Association. Vol. 25. Canadian Bankers Association. 1918. p. 112-113.
  6. Deputy Master of the Mint (1871). First Annual Report. H.M. Stationery Office. p. 9.
  7. ^ Mott, H.; McLachlan, R. W.; de Lery MacDonald, A. C. (1889). The Canadian Antiquarian and Numismatic Journal. Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Montreal. pp. 146–151.
  8. Theodore V. Buttrey (1973). Coinage of the Americas. American Numismatic Society. p. 99. ISBN 978-0-7837-6999-8. A public outcry against these "Godless" coins resulted and from 1912 coins bear a legend containing an abbreviated form of the phrase
  9. American Numismatic Association (1911). The Numismatist. Vol. 24. Hurley Prontery. p. 200.
  10. ^ Annual Report of the Director of the Mint. United States Mint. 1969. p. W18.
  11. Trade Promotion Series. Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce. 1935. p. 34.
  12. T.A. Ingram M.A., L.L.D. (1921). The New Hazell Annual & Almanack. Vol. 36. Oxford University Press. p. 105.
  13. ^ Arlyn G. Sieber (2011). Warman's Coins & Paper Money Identification and Price Guide. F+W Media. p. 1997-1998. ISBN 978-1-4402-1730-2.
  14. ^ Striking Impressions, James A. Haxby, 1983, ISBN 0-660-91234-1
  15. The Numismatist. Vol. 106. American Numismatic Association. 1993. ...dating from 1937 to 1952. Designer T. Humphrey Paget's initials, H.P., are...
  16. Rapport Du Directeur de la Monnaie Royale Canadienne. Royal Canadian Mint. 1937. p. 6. It was finally decided to commission Mr. Emanuel Hahn, R.C.A., of Toronto to prepare the models for the 25-cent and 10-cent pieces with a caribou head and...
  17. "Indian Independence Act, 1947" (PDF). Parliament of the United Kingdom. The assent of the Parliament of the United Kingdom is hereby given to the omission from the Royal Style and Titles of the words " Indiae Imperator " and the words " Emperor of India " and to the issue by His Majesty for that purpose of His Royal Proclamation under the Great Seal of the Realm.
  18. Report of the Master of the Royal Canadian Mint. Department of Finance Canada. 1948. p. 6–7.
  19. ^ "Faces of the Monarch on Coins". Royal Canadian Mint}. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  20. Hudgeons, Marc; Hudgeons (Jr.), Tom; Hudgeons, Thomas E. (2007). The Official Blackbook Price Guide to World Coins 2008. Random House. p. 291. ISBN 978-0-375-72169-4.
  21. The Numismatist. Vol. 106. American Numismatic Association. 1993. p. 1132. With the coins of 1953–55 came two new varieties: with and without a fold of fabric (mistakenly called a strap) on Queen Elizabeth's right shoulder.
  22. "Canadian Mint on Coin Shift". Billboard. Vol. 68, no. 32. Nielsen Business Media. p. 101.
  23. Michael Sedgwick. "Meeting and remembering a man named Machin". Royal Mint. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  24. ^ James A. Haxby (1984). he Royal Canadian Mint and Canadian Coinage: Striking Impressions. Royal Canadian Mint. p. 215 & 219.
  25. ^ Michael, Thomas, ed. (July 29, 2016). 2017 Standard Catalog of World Coins 1901-2000 (44th ed.). Krause Publications. pp. 315–320. ISBN 978-1440246548.
  26. ^ "Canada 25 Cents KM# 62a 1968(no mint mark)". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  27. ^ "Canada 25 Cents KM# 62b 1968(no mint mark)". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  28. U.S. Mint's Commemorative Coin Program. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1995. p. 103.
  29. Joshua McMorrow-Hernande (July 6, 2020). "Size Matters: Large Bust Vs. Small Bust 1973 Canadian Quarters". Professional Coin Grading Service. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
  30. George S. Cuhaj (2010). Canadian Coin Digest. Penguin. ISBN 9781440217616. By the end of April, this super modern... ...struck 46 million 1, 10,- and 25-cent coins.
  31. The World's Monetary Stocks of Gold, Silver, and Coins in 1979. United States Department of the Treasury. 1979. p. 28.
  32. Shearer, Ronald A.; Chant, John F.; Bond, David E. (1995). The Economics of the Canadian Financial System: Theory, Policy and Institutions. Prentice-Hall Canada. p. 22.
  33. ^ Mark Drake & John Kauntz (2023). Canadian Coins Volume One - Numismatic Issues. The Charlton Press. p. 128.
  34. "A familiar face – the 25-cent coin". Royal Canadian Mint. Archived from the original on April 4, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  35. "Control of electromagnetic signals of coins through multi-ply plating technology". Google Patents. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  36. ^ "Canada 25 Cents KM# 11 1902 (no mint mark)". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  37. "Canada 25 Cents KM# 11a 1910 (no mint mark)". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  38. "Canadian Coin News". Canadian Coin News. Archived from the original on April 19, 2017. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  39. "Canada 25 Cents KM# 18 1911 (no mint mark)". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  40. ^ "Canada 25 Cents KM# 24 1912 (no mint mark)". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  41. ^ "Canada 25 Cents KM# 24a 1920 (no mint mark)". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  42. ^ "Canada 25 Cents KM# 35 1937 (no mint mark)". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  43. ^ "Canada 25 Cents KM# 44 1948 (no mint mark)". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  44. ^ "Canada 25 Cents KM# 52 1953(no mint mark) Without strap". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  45. ^ "Canada 25 Cents KM# 62 1965(no mint mark)". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  46. "Canada 25 Cents KM# 81.1 1873-1973(no mint mark)". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  47. ^ "Canada 25 Cents KM# 74 1979(no mint mark)". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  48. ^ "Canada 25 Cents KM# 184 1990(no mint mark)". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  49. ^ "Canada 25 Cents KM# 184b 1999(no mint mark) P". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  50. "Canada 25 Cents KM# 448 1952-2002P". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  51. ^ "Canada 25 Cents KM# 493 2003P". Numismatic Guaranty Company. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  52. ^ "RCM Mintages 2010 – 2020". Royal Canadian Mint. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  53. Royal Canadian Mint (2017). 2017 Annual Report – Delivering Results (PDF) (Report). p. 86. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 8, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
  54. "Royal Canadian Mint Annual Report: 2021" (PDF). Royal Canadian Mint. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  55. "Royal Canadian Mint Annual Report: 2022" (PDF). Royal Canadian Mint. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  56. "Royal Canadian Mint Annual Report: 2023" (PDF). Royal Canadian Mint. Retrieved November 12, 2024.

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