25 cents

A Familiar Face – the 25‑cent Coin

The caribou on the 25-cent piece dates back to 1936 when a change in the sovereign's effigy 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 and was first used in 1937. It has been temporarily replaced through the years – in 1967 for the Canadian centennial, in 1992 for Canada's 125th birthday, in 1999 and 2000 in celebration of the new millennium, as well as for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics (2007-2010), and the 150th anniversary of Confederation in 2017.

Reverse Side Designs

1870 – 1936

The crossed maple boughs

The 25‑cent coin was first issued in 1870. The coin used the same design of two crossed maple boughs that appeared on the 10‑cent coins and 50‑cent coins from 1858 to 1936.

 

1937 – 1972, 1974 – 1991, 1993 – 1998, 2001-2008 and 2001-present

The caribou

Emanuel Hahn's caribou design was adopted in 1937 in an effort to modernize Canada's circulation coins.

 

1967 The centennial 25‑cent coin

Alex Colville created a special set of coin designs to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Canadian confederation; the 25‑cent coin features a bobcat.

 

1973

The RCMP centennial

Paul Cederberg designed this coin to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

 

1992

125th Anniversary of Confederation

Designed by Canadians chosen in a national contest, these 25‑cent coins were issued bearing a design to represent each province and territory.

 

1992

125th Anniversary of Confederation – Yukon

 

1992

125th Anniversary of Confederation – Northwest Territories

 

1992

125th Anniversary of Confederation – British Columbia

 

1992

125th Anniversary of Confederation – Alberta

 

1992

125th Anniversary of Confederation – Saskatchewan

 

1992

125th Anniversary of Confederation – Manitoba

 

1992

125th Anniversary of Confederation – Ontario

 

1992

125th Anniversary of Confederation – Quebec

 

1992

125th Anniversary of Confederation – New Brunswick

 

1992

125th Anniversary of Confederation – Prince Edward Island

 

1992

125th Anniversary of Confederation – Nova Scotia

 

1992

125th Anniversary of Confederation – Newfoundland

 

1999 Millenium Collection

Poised on the edge of the new millennium, the 'Create a Centsation!' contest received 33,000 design submissions from Canadians for the two series of 25‑cent Millennium circulation coins. The 1999 series commemorated the last 1,000 years.

 

1999

Millenium Collection – January

 

1999

Millenium Collection – February

 

1999

Millenium Collection – March

 

1999

Millenium Collection – April

 

1999

Millenium Collection – May

 

1999

Millenium Collection – June

 

1999

Millenium Collection – July

 

1999

Millenium Collection – August

 

1999

Millenium Collection – September

 

1999

Millenium Collection – October

 

1999

Millenium Collection – November

 

1999

Millenium Collection – December

 

2000 Millenium Collection

Poised on the edge of the new millennium, the 'Create a Centsation!' contest received 33,000 design submissions from Canadians for the two series of 25‑cent Millennium circulation coins. The 2000 series featured designs that speak to our hopes for the new millenium.

 

2000

Millenium Collection – 'Creativity'

 

2000

Millenium Collection – 'Freedom'

 

2000

Millenium Collection – 'Community'

 

2000

Millenium Collection – 'Wisdom'

 

2000

Millenium Collection – 'Family'

 

2000

Millenium Collection – 'Celebration'

 

2000

Millenium Collection – 'Pride'

 

2000

Millenium Collection – 'Health'

 

2000

Millenium Collection – 'Natural Legacy'

 

2000

Millenium Collection – 'Harmony'

 

2000

Millenium Collection – 'Achievement'

 

2000

Millenium Collection – 'Ingenuity'

 

2002

Canada Day

This coin celebrates Canada's 135th anniversary. The reverse was designed by Judith Chartier.

 

2004

Ile Sainte‑Croix

400th anniversary of the first French settlement in North America.

 

2004

The Poppy

The 25‑cent Poppy coin was the world's first coloured coin in circulation.

 

2005

Saskatchewan Centennial

Designed by Saskatchewan wildlife artist Paulette Sapergia, it features the Western Meadowlark whose unique and melodious song heralds the coming of spring to the prairies.

 

2005

Alberta Centennial

Designed by artist Michelle Grant, it portrays the richness of the Alberta landscape – mountains in the distance, prairie fields, an old‑style oil derrick and the wild rose.

 

2005

Year of the Veteran

Designed by Elaine Goble, the design depicts two veterans of different generations, joined by love of country, standing side by side.

Technical Specifications

1908 – 1910

Composition: 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper
Weight (g): 5.81
Diameter (mm): 23.62
Thickness (mm): n/a

 

1910 – 1919

Composition: 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper
Weight (g): 5.83
Diameter (mm): 23.62
Thickness (mm): n/a

 

1920 – 1952

Composition: 80% silver, 20% copper
Weight (g): 5.83
Diameter (mm): 23.62
Thickness (mm): n/a

 

1953 – 1967

Composition: 80% silver, 20% copper
Weight (g): 5.83
Diameter (mm): 23.88
Thickness (mm): n/a

 

1967 – 1968

Composition: 50% silver, 50% copper
Weight (g): 5.05
Diameter (mm): 23.88
Thickness (mm): n/a

 

1968 – 1977

Composition: 99.9% nickel
Weight (g): 5.05
Diameter (mm): 23.88
Thickness (mm): 1.6

 

1978 – 1999

Composition: 99.9% nickel
Weight (g): 5.05
Diameter (mm): 23.88
Thickness (mm): 1.58

 

2000 – present

Composition: 94% steel, 3.8% copper, 2.2% nickel plating
Weight (g): 4.4
Diameter (mm): 23.88
Thickness (mm): 1.58

Mintages

1908 – 1909
Year Mintage
1908 495,016
1909 1,335,929

 

1910 – 1919
Year Mintage
1910 3,577,569
1911 1,721,341
1912 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 – 1929
Year Mintage
1920 1,975,278
1921 597,337
1922 0
1923 0
1924 0
1925 0
1926 0
1927 468,096
1928 2,114,178
1929 2,690,562

 

1930 – 1939
Year Mintage
1930 968,748
1931 537,815
1932 537,994
1933 421,282
1934 384,350
1935 537,772
1936 1,125,779
1937 2,689,813
1938 3,149,245
1939 3,532,495

 

1940 – 1949
Year Mintage
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 5,918,482
1948 2,564,424
1949 7,988,830

 

1950 – 1959
Year Mintage
1950 9,673,335
1951 8,290,719
1952 8,859,642
1953 10,456,769
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 – 1969
Year Mintage
1960 22,835,327
1961 18,164,368
1962 29,559,266
1963 21,180,642
1964 36,479,343
1965 44,708,869
1966 25,388,892
1967 48,855,500
1968 160,150,931
1969 133,037,929

 

1970 – 1979
Year Mintage
1970 10,302,010
1971 48,170,428
1972 43,743,387
1973 135,958,589
1974 192,360,598
1975 252,259,000
1976 86,898,261
1977 99,634,555
1978 174,475,408
1979 131,042,905

 

1980 – 1989
Year Mintage
1980 76,178,000
1981 131,583,900
1982 171,926,000
1983 13,162,000
1984 119,212,000
1985 158,734,000
1986 132,220,000
1987 53,408,000
1988 80,368,000
1989 119,084,307

 

1990 – 1999
Year Mintage
1990 31,258,000
1991 459,000
1992 153,000,000
1993 73,758,000
1994 77,670,000
1995 89,210,000
1996 28,216,000
1997 0
1998 0
1999 258,888,996

 

2000 – 2009
Year Mintage
2000 415,894,000
2001 62,227,000
2002 187,992,000
2003 100,638,000
2004 210,047,000
2005 269,586,000
2006 629,018,000
2007 386,763,000
2008 387,222,000
2009 266,766,000

 

2010 – 2019
Year Mintage
2010 167,500,000
2011 212,970,000
2012 178,450,000
2013 118,480,000
2014 97,440,000
2015 97,320,000
2016 106,880,000
2017 143,220,000
2018 102,560,000
2019 80,160,000

 

2020 – present
Year Mintage
2020 96,000,000
Canadian Circulation
Over 1 billion circulation coins are minted each year at our high-tech plant in Winnipeg. We not only produce all of Canada’s circulation coins, we also manage the national coin supply – from weekly forecasting, to production, to recycling and eventual retirement.
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