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|99.9% nickel
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|1967-1968
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|5.05 g
|23.88 mm
|23.88 mm

Revision as of 07:53, 10 October 2010

Quarter
Canada
Value0.25 CAD
Mass4.4 g
Diameter23.81 mm
Thickness1.60 mm
Edgemilled
Composition94% steel,
3.8% Cu,
2.2% Ni plating
Years of minting1870–present
Catalog number-
Obverse
DesignQueen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada
DesignerSusanna Blunt
Design date2003
Reverse
DesignCaribou
DesignerEmmanuel Hahn
Design date1937

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 the term quarter is nearly universal.

In Canadian French, the quarter used to be called a trente sous (a "thirty cents"). This is because the sou originally referred to a monetary unit used in France (and also New France), whereas today in Canadian French it means a Canadian cent, and somewhere in history 120 sous of New France came to be worth the equivalent of what eventually became the Canadian dollar. The exact exchange-rate mechanism by which this came to be is the subject of various occasionally contradictory theories.[1][2] In Quebec, the term cents (pronounced SEN) is sometimes used in place of sous.

History of Composition

Years Mass Diameter/Shape Composition[3]
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

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 contractors unfamiliar with the coin's design believed these coins were outfitted with nanotechnology designed for espionage.[4]

Single commemorative designs

Image Year Theme Artist Mintage Notes
File:1867-1967 Canadian Quarter.png 1967 Canada's Centennial Alex Colville 48,855,500 The reverse featured a bobcat.
File:RCMP Canadian Quarter.png 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.

File:Maple Leaf Canadian Quarter.png 2002 Canadian Maple Leaf Judith Chartier 30,627,000 1952–2002
File:1604-2004 Canadian Quarter.png 2004 Acadia (Île Ste. Croix) R.R. Carmichael,
Stan Witten 		15,400,000 The reverse depicted a 17th century sailing ship, "La Bonne-Renommée"[5] and the dates 1604–2004.
File:1904-2004 Canadian Quarter.png 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.
File:Alberta Centennial Canadian Quarter.png 2005 Alberta Centennial Michelle Grant 20,640,000
2005 Saskatchewan Centennial Paulette Sapergia 19,290,000
File:2005 Canadian quarter Year of the Veteran.png 2005 Year of the Veteran Elaine Gobel 29,396,000
2006 Pink Ribbon Cosme Saffioti 29,798,000[6] The second colourized coin in general issue. the coloration is more scratch-resistant.
2006 Medal of Bravery RCM Engravers 20,040,000[6]
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.

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 [citation needed] for the US 50 State Quarters program of 1999-2008. Note: Nunavut, which broke off from the Northwest Territories in 1999, was honoured with a special $2 coin.

Province Date of Release Artist Mintage
Alberta 1992-06-04 June 4, 1992 Mel Heath 12,133,000
British Columbia 1992-11-09 November 9, 1992 Carla Egan 14,001,000
Manitoba 1992-04-07 April 7, 1992 Muriel Hope 11,349,000
New Brunswick 1992-01-09 January 9, 1992 Ronald Lambert 12,174,000
Newfoundland and Labrador 1992-03-05 March 5, 1992 Christoper Newhook 11,405,000
Northwest Territories 1992-02-06 February 6, 1992 Beth McEachen 12,580,000
Nova Scotia 1992-09-09 September 9, 1992 Bruce Wood 13,600,000
Ontario 1992-08-06 August 6, 1992 Greg Salmela 14,263,000
Prince Edward Island 1992-07-07 July 7, 1992 Nigel Roe 13,001,000
Quebec 1992-10-01 October 1, 1992 Romualdas Bukauskas 13,607,000
Saskatchewan 1992-11-05 November 5, 1992 Brian Cobb 14,165,000
Yukon 1992-05-07 May 7, 1992 Libby Dulac 10,388,000

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 (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
File:February 1999 Canadian Quarter.png February 1999 Etched in Stone Lonnie Springer February 1, 1999 13,985,195
File:March 1999 Quarter.JPG March 1999 The Log Drive Marjolaine Lavoie 15,157,061
File:Canadian 25 cent coin Apr rev.JPG April 1999 Our Northern Heritage Kenojuak Ashevak March 30, 1999 15,214,397
File:Canadian 25 cent coin May rev.JPG May 1999 The Voyageurs Sergiy Minenok May 3, 1999 14,906,187
File:Canadian 25 cent coin Jun rev.JPG June 1999 From Coast to Coast Gordon Ho June 2, 1999 19,821,722
File:Canadian 25 cent coin Jul rev.JPG July 1999 A Nation of People Maria H. Sarkany July 1, 1999 16,537,018
File:Canadian 25 cent coin Aug rev.JPG August 1999 The Pioneer Spirit Alzira Botelho August 3, 1999 17,621,561
File:Canadian 25 cent coin Sept rev.JPG September 1999 Canada Through a Child’s Eye Claudia Bertrand August 27, 1999 31,077,650
File:Canadian 25 cent coin Oct rev.JPG October 1999 A Tribute to First Nations Jason Edward Read October 4, 1999 31,964,487
File:Canadian 25 cent coin Nov rev.JPG November 1999 The Airplane Opens the North Brian R. Bacon 27,437,677
File:Canadian 25 cent coin Dec rev.JPG December 1999 This Is Canada J.L. Pierre Provencher 42,927,482
File:Canadian 25 cent coin Pride rev.JPG 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
File:Canadian 25 cent coin Ingenuity rev.JPG February 2000 Ingenuity John Jaciw February 4, 2000 35,812,988
File:Canadian 25 cent coin Achievement rev.JPG March 2000 Achievement Daryl Ann Dorosz 35,135,154
File:Canadian 25 cent coin Health rev.JPG April 2000 Health Anny Wassef April 5, 2000 34,663,619
File:Canadian 25 cent coin Natural Legacy rev.JPG May 2000 Natural Legacy Randy Trantau 36,416,953
File:Canadian 25 cent coin Harmony rev.JPG June 2000 Harmony Haver Demirer June 1, 2000 34,604,075
File:Canadian 25 cent coin Celebration rev.JPG July 2000 Celebration

Red color was added to the Flag (over $100.00)

Laura Paxton June 29, 2000 34,816,329
File:Canadian 25 cent coin Family rev.JPG August 2000 Family Wade Stephen Baker August 1, 2000 34,320,111
File:Canadian 25 cent coin Wisdom rev.JPG September 2000 Wisdom Cezar Şerbănescu September 6, 2000 33,993,016
File:Canadian 25 cent coin Creativity rev.JPG October 2000 Creativity Eric (Kong Tat) Hui October 4, 2000 35,102,206
File:Canadian 25 cent coin Freedom rev.JPG November 2000 Freedom Kathy Vinish November 1, 2000 33,251,352
File:Canadian 25 cent coin Community rev.JPG December 2000 Community Michelle Thibodeau December 4, 2000 34,378,898

Alberta and Saskatchewan Centennial

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.[7] The coin had a mintage of 20,640,000.[8]

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.[9] The coin's mintage was 19,290,000.

2010 Vancouver Olympics

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
File:2007 Curling.jpg February 23, 2007 Curling Glen Green 22,000,400
File:2007 Ice Hockey.jpg April 3, 2007 Ice Hockey Glen Green 22,000,400
File:Wheelchair curling.jpg July 11, 2007 Wheelchair curling Glen Green 22,000,400
September 12, 2007 Biathlon Glen Green 22,000,400
File:2007 Alpine Skiing.jpg October 24, 2007 Alpine Skiing Glen Green 22,000,400
File:2010 Snowboarding.jpg 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
File:Bobsleigh Canadian Quarter.png June 23, 2008 Bobsleigh Glen Green TBA
File:2010 Cross Country Skiing .JPG January 15, 2009 Cross Country Skiing Glen Green TBA
March 12, 2009 Speed Skating Glen Green TBA
File:2010 Hockey.JPG 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)[10] J.B. & RCM engravers 200,000[10]
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

First strikes

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

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 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.

Other notable dates

2007 Curling Quarter
2007 Curling Quarter
  • The 1906 Small Crown is valued in the thousands of dollars for even very poor conditions.
  • 1936 marked two valuable variations, the Bar and the Dot, both trend for over $1000 in uncirculated condition.
  • The 1947 Dot is highly desired.
  • 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, ironically, 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). Values range between $2000 and $5000.
  • 2000P Caribou: two examples are known to exist. They fetch $50,000 or more (ICCS has graded both in MS-64: ICCS 2009 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 2009 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 2009 Population report).

Facts

[citation needed]

  • 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.[11]
  • 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.[11]
  • 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.[12]
  • 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 less than in 1991. All of them were issued in collector sets or proofs and none were issued into circulation.
  • The quarter is a subject of debate; it is a caribou depicted, rather than a moose.
  • 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.

References

  1. ^ 5 sur 5 - Notes du journaliste :
  2. ^ Boîte à réponses | 275-Allô | zone Jeunesse | Radio-Canada.ca
  3. ^ "25 cents". Royal Canadian Mint.
  4. ^ CBC.ca
  5. ^ Charlton Standard of Canadian Coins, p.135
  6. ^ a b Royal Canadian Mint 2006 Annual Report, p. 46
  7. ^ "Alberta's Centennial Coin". Retrieved 2007-05-07.
  8. ^ Royal Canadian Mint Template:PDFlink, page 38. Retrieved May 7, 2007
  9. ^ Saskatchewan Residents Invited to Vote on 2005 Centennial Quarter - Government of Saskatchewan
  10. ^ a b Canadian Coin News, "Engraved 2 variety an instant 25-cent key date", p.1, Volume 47, Number 18, December 22 to January 4, 2010 & Canadian Coin News, "Mint sticking to guns on variety report", p.31, Volume 47, Number 19, January 5 to January 18, 2010
  11. ^ a b Striking Impressions, James A. Haxby, 1983, ISBN 0-660-91234-1
  12. ^ Charlton Standard of Canadian Coins, p.128
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