The quarter, short for quarter dollar, is a Canadian coin worth 25 cents or one-fourth of a Canadian dollar. In addition to being used as circulating currency, this denomination has also been used to make commemorative coins struck by the Royal Canadian Mint. Ordinarily featuring a caribou, the quarter has the most commonly altered reverse in Canada and is the usual venue for commemorative issues. Two main types of commemorative coins have been issued; those for circulation and those for collectors. This article does not cover NFL related commemoratives or Olympic coins as those quarters can be found in their respective pages.
Circulating commemoratives Individual events (C) 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 Canada Day 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,Charlton Standard of Canadian Coins, p.135 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. These were also struck in non-circulation issue silver proof for collectors. 2005 Year of the Veteran Elaine Gobel 29,390,000 The reverse features the conjoined busts of young and old veterans, 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 ExpeditionBonnie 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 a 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 RCM 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 to 2008. Nunavut, which separated from the Northwest Territories seven years later in 1999, was honoured with a special $2 coin.
Date of Issue Province/territory Artist Mintage Notes 1992-06-04 June 4, 1992 Alberta Mel Heath 12,133,000 The Alberta badlands 1992-11-09 December 9, 1992 British Columbia Carla Egan 14,001,000 An orca surfacing with the Coast Mountains in the distance 1992-04-07 April 7, 1992 Manitoba Muriel Hope 11,349,000 A Hudson's Bay Company fort 1992-01-09 January 9, 1992 New Brunswick Ronald Lambert 12,174,000 The Oldfields Covered Bridge 1992-03-05 March 5, 1992 Newfoundland and Labrador Christoper Newhook 11,405,000 A fisherman in a dory 1992-02-06 February 6, 1992 Northwest Territories Beth McEachen 12,582,000 An inuksuk 1992-09-09 September 9, 1992 Nova Scotia Bruce Wood 13,600,000 The Peggys Point Lighthouse at Peggy's Cove 1992-08-06 August 6, 1992 Ontario Greg Salmela 14,263,000 A windswept tree on the Canadian Shield 1992-07-07 July 7, 1992 Prince Edward Island Nigel Roe 13,001,000 The province's distinctive coastline 1992-10-01 October 1, 1992 Quebec Romualdas Bukauskas 13,607,000 Sailboats at Percé Rock 1992-11-05 November 5, 1992 Saskatchewan Brian Cobb 14,165,000 Ears of wheat, grain elevators, and a train of Canadian Wheat Board hopper cars 1992-05-07 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 labelled with their month of issue, the 2000 coins were labeled with the relevant theme. All of these quarters were also issued in proof as individuals, and in sets for collectors.
Month Theme Artist Mintage January 1999 A Country Unfolds Peter Ka-Kin Poon 12,181,200 February 1999 Etched in Stone Lonnie Springer 14,469,250 March 1999 The Log Drive Marjolaine Lavoie 15,033,500 April 1999 Our Northern Heritage Kenojuak Ashevak 15,446,000 May 1999 The Voyageurs Sergiy Minenok 15,566,100 June 1999 From Coast to Coast Gordon Ho 20,432,750 July 1999 A Nation of People Maria H. Sarkany 17,321,000 August 1999 The Pioneer Spirit Alzira Botelho 18,153,700 September 1999 Canada Through a Child's Eye Claudia Bertrand 31,539,350 October 1999 A Tribute to First Nations Jason Edward Read 32,136,650 November 1999 The Airplane Opens the North Brian R. Bacon 27,162,800 December 1999 This Is Canada J.L. Pierre Provencher 43,339,200 January 2000 Pride Donald F. Warkentin 50,666,800 February 2000 Ingenuity John Jaciw 36,078,360 March 2000 Achievement Daryl Ann Dorosz 35,312,750 April 2000 Health Anny Wassef 35,470,900 May 2000 Natural Legacy Randy Trantau 36,236,900 June 2000 Harmony Haver Demirer 35,184,200 July 2000 Celebration Laura Paxton 35,144,100 August 2000 Family Wade Stephen Baker 35,107,700 September 2000 Wisdom Cezar Şerbănescu 35,123,950 October 2000 Creativity Eric (Kong Tat) Hui 35,316,770 November 2000 Freedom Kathy Vinish 35,188,900 December 2000 Community Michelle Thibodeau 35,155,400
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.Royal Canadian Mint
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. Date of issue Province Artist Mintage July 19, 2005 Alberta Michelle Grant 20,640,000 July 13, 2005 Saskatchewan Paulette Sapergia 19,290,000
2007–2010: Vancouver Olympics Date of Issue Sport Artist Mintage 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 Date of issue Animal Artist Mintage 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 Date of Issue Subject Artist Mintage 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
Non-circulating commemoratives Individual events (NC)