Canada | |
Value | 0.25 CAD |
---|---|
Mass | 4.4 g |
Diameter | 23.81 mm |
Thickness | 1.58 mm |
Edge | milled |
Composition | 94% steel, 3.8% Cu, 2.2% Ni plating |
Years of minting | 1870–present |
Catalog number | - |
Obverse | |
Design | Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada |
Designer | Susanna Blunt |
Design date | 2003 |
Reverse | |
Design | caribou |
Designer | Emmanuel Hahn |
Design date | 1937 |
The quarter is a Canadian coin, valued at 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 simply called a quarter.
Contents |
Years | Mass | Diameter/Shape | Composition[1] |
---|---|---|---|
2000–present | 4.40 g | 23.88 mm | 94.0% steel (unspecified alloy), 3.8% copper, 2.2% nickel plating |
1968–1999 | 5.05 g | 23.88 mm | 99.9% nickel |
1967-1968 | 5.05 g | 23.88 mm | 50% silver, 50% copper |
1953–1967 | 5.83 g | 23.88 mm | 80% silver, 20% copper |
1920–1952 | 5.83 g | 23.62 mm | 80% silver, 20% copper |
1910–1919 | 5.83 g | 23.62 mm | 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper |
1908–1910 | 5.81 g | 23.62 mm | 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper |
Ordinarily featuring a caribou,[1] 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 contractors unfamiliar with the coin's design believed these coins were outfitted with nanotechnology designed for espionage.[2]
Image | Year | Theme | Artist | Mintage | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1967 | Canada's Centennial | Alex Colville | 48,855,500 | The reverse featured a bobcat. | |
1973 | 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police | Paul Cedarberg | 135,958,589 | The reverse depicted a mounted RCMP officer
obverse featured Queen Elizabeth II. |
|
2002 | Canadian Maple Leaf | Judith Chartier | 30,627,000 | 1952–2002 | |
2004 | Acadia (Île Ste. Croix) | R.R. Carmichael, Stan Witten |
15,400,000 | The reverse depicted a 17th century sailing ship, "La Bonne-Renommée"[3] and the dates 1604–2004. | |
2004 | Remembrance Day | Cosme Saffioti, Stan Witten |
28,500,000 | The reverse featured a corn poppy coloured red, the first coloured general circulation coin in the world. | |
2005 | Alberta Centennial | Michelle Grant | 20,640,000 | ||
2005 | Saskatchewan Centennial | Paulette Sapergia | 19,290,000 | ||
2005 | Year of the Veteran | Elaine Gobel | 29,396,000 | ||
2006 | Pink Ribbon | Cosme Saffioti | 29,798,000[4] | The second colourized coin in general issue. the coloration is more scratch-resistant. | |
2006 | Medal of Bravery | RCM Engravers | 20,040,000[4] | ||
2008 | Remembrance Day 90th anniversary | Cosme Saffioti, Stan Witten |
11,000,000 | Re-issue of 2004 design (but with a superior red poppy process & appearance), with '1918 Armistice' added to commemorate 90th anniversary. | |
2010 | 65th anniversary of World War II[5] | Features a soldier with a bowed head and hands on a rifle in front of a maple leaf. Two colored poppies are on each side of the soldier. |
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. Note: Nunavut, which separated from the Northwest Territories in 1999, was honoured with a special $2 coin.
Province | Date of Release | Artist | Mintage |
---|---|---|---|
Alberta | June 4, 1992 | Mel Heath | 12,133,000 |
British Columbia | November 9, 1992 | Carla Egan | 14,001,000 |
Manitoba | April 7, 1992 | Muriel Hope | 11,349,000 |
New Brunswick | January 9, 1992 | Ronald Lambert | 12,174,000 |
Newfoundland and Labrador | March 5, 1992 | Christoper Newhook | 11,405,000 |
Northwest Territories | February 6, 1992 | Beth McEachen | 12,580,000 |
Nova Scotia | September 9, 1992 | Bruce Wood | 13,600,000 |
Ontario | August 6, 1992 | Greg Salmela | 14,263,000 |
Prince Edward Island | July 7, 1992 | Nigel Roe | 13,001,000 |
Quebec | October 1, 1992 | Romualdas Bukauskas | 13,607,000 |
Saskatchewan | November 5, 1992 | Brian Cobb | 14,165,000 |
Yukon | May 7, 1992 | Libby Dulac | 10,388,000 |
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 (see below).
Image | Month | Theme | Artist | Date of Issue | Mintage |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
January 1999 | A Country Unfolds | Peter Ka-Kin Poon | January 5, 1999 | 12,238,559 | |
February 1999 | Etched in Stone | Lonnie Springer | February 1, 1999 | 13,985,195 | |
March 1999 | The Log Drive | Marjolaine Lavoie | 15,157,061 | ||
April 1999 | Our Northern Heritage | Kenojuak Ashevak | March 30, 1999 | 15,214,397 | |
May 1999 | The Voyageurs | Sergiy Minenok | May 3, 1999 | 14,906,187 | |
June 1999 | From Coast to Coast | Gordon Ho | June 2, 1999 | 19,821,722 | |
July 1999 | A Nation of People | Maria H. Sarkany | July 1, 1999 | 16,537,018 | |
August 1999 | The Pioneer Spirit | Alzira Botelho | August 3, 1999 | 17,621,561 | |
September 1999 | Canada Through a Child’s Eye | Claudia Bertrand | August 27, 1999 | 31,077,650 | |
October 1999 | A Tribute to First Nations | Jason Edward Read | October 4, 1999 | 31,964,487 | |
November 1999 | The Airplane Opens the North | Brian R. Bacon | 27,437,677 | ||
December 1999 | This Is Canada | J.L. Pierre Provencher | 42,927,482 | ||
January 2000 | Pride
Red color was added to the two on Maple Leaf (over $25.00) |
Donald F. Warkentin | January 6, 2000 | 50,749,102 | |
February 2000 | Ingenuity | John Jaciw | February 4, 2000 | 35,812,988 | |
March 2000 | Achievement | Daryl Ann Dorosz | 35,135,154 | ||
April 2000 | Health | Anny Wassef | April 5, 2000 | 34,663,619 | |
May 2000 | Natural Legacy | Randy Trantau | 36,416,953 | ||
June 2000 | Harmony | Haver Demirer | June 1, 2000 | 34,604,075 | |
July 2000 | Celebration
Red color was added to the Flag (over $100.00) |
Laura Paxton | June 29, 2000 | 34,816,329 | |
August 2000 | Family | Wade Stephen Baker | August 1, 2000 | 34,320,111 | |
September 2000 | Wisdom | Cezar Şerbănescu | September 6, 2000 | 33,993,016 | |
October 2000 | Creativity | Eric (Kong Tat) Hui | October 4, 2000 | 35,102,206 | |
November 2000 | Freedom | Kathy Vinish | November 1, 2000 | 33,251,352 | |
December 2000 | Community | Michelle Thibodeau | December 4, 2000 | 34,378,898 |
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.[6] The coin had a mintage of 20,640,000.[7]
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.[8] The coin's mintage was 19,290,000.
The Olympic coins do not have the inscription 'D.G. Regina' (Latin for 'By the Grace of God, Queen') making the coins "godless circulating coins". There have been a couple of circulation strike mule coins in this series, including 2007 Paralympic wheelchair curling and 2009 Olympic Alpine Skiing coins. With the medalist coins now called the Olympic moments coins, a very small percentage will be a colorized version.
Image | Date of Issue | Sport | Artist | Mintage |
---|---|---|---|---|
February 23, 2007 | Curling | Glen Green | 22,000,400 | |
April 3, 2007 | Ice Hockey | Glen Green | 22,000,400 | |
July 11, 2007 | Wheelchair curling | Glen Green | 22,000,400 | |
September 12, 2007 | Biathlon | Glen Green | 22,000,400 | |
October 24, 2007 | Alpine Skiing | Glen Green | 22,000,400 | |
February 20, 2008 | Snowboarding | Glen Green | 22,000,400 | |
April 16, 2008 | Freestyle Skiing | Glen Green | 22,000,400 | |
November 18, 2008 | Figure Skating | Glen Green | 22,000,400 | |
June 23, 2009 | Bobsleigh | Glen Green | TBA | |
January 15, 2009 | Cross Country Skiing | Glen Green | TBA | |
March 12, 2009 | Speed Skating | Glen Green | TBA | |
September 29, 2009 | Men's Ice Hockey | J.B. & RCM engravers | 20 000 000 | |
September 29, 2009 | Men's Ice Hockey (colour) | J.B. & RCM engravers | 2,800,000 | |
September 29, 2009 | Men's Ice Hockey (colour engraved 2)[9] | J.B. & RCM engravers | 200,000[9] | |
November 17, 2009 | Women's Ice Hockey | J.B. & RCM engravers | TBA | |
November 17, 2009 | Women's Ice Hockey (colour) | J.B. & RCM engravers | 3,000,000 | |
January 5, 2010 | Cindy Klassen (colour) | J.B. & RCM engravers | 3,000,000 | |
March 18, 2010 | Sledge hockey | G.G. | TBA |
Year | Theme | Mintage | Issue Price |
---|---|---|---|
2004 | The Poppy | 9,928 | $19.95 |
2005 | Alberta Centennial | 8,936 | $14.95 |
2005 | MOOSE | 1,807 | $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 | N/A | 10,000 | $15.95 | October 24 |
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 | Special Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | Millennium Coloured Coin "Canada Day" | Laura Paxton | 26,106 | $8.95 | 1st Canada Day Coin. |
2001 | Canada Day Coloured Coin | Silke Ware | 96,352 | $9.95 | |
2002 | Canada Day Coloured Coin | Judith Chartier | 49,901 | $9.95 | Version w/o colour was circulated. |
2003 | Canada Day Coloured Coin | Jade Pearen | 63,511 | $9.95 | |
2004 | Canada Day Coloured Coin | Cosme Saffioti | 44,759 | $9.95 | |
2004 | Canada Day Multi-Ply Plated Steel | Nick Wooster | 29,762 | $24.95 | Part of Canada Day bundle. |
2005 | Canada Day Coin | Stan Witten | $9.95 | ||
2006 | Canada Day Coin (coloured featuring two children holding a Canadian flag) | $9.95 | Packaged with four Crayola crayons. | ||
2007 | Canada Day Coin (coloured featuring RCMP) | $9.95 | Packaged with tattoos. | ||
2008 | Canada Day Coin (coloured featuring a cool moose in shades with his cap on backwards) | $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) | $14.95 | Packaged with a postcard and a magnetic frame with character magnets. |
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