1912 Canadian Quarter
The 1912 Canadian Quarter is a Canadian quarter struck for circulation with 2.54 million made. Value band: metal value. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 1912
- Circulation mintage
- 2,544,199
- Value band
- Metal value
- Composition
- Sterling silver (92.5% silver, 7.5% copper)
Original illustration of the coin's shape and metal. Tap to flip. Not a picture of the actual design.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 1912 Canadian Quarter worth?
The 1912 Canadian Quarter is a silver coin with 0.1728 troy ounces of pure silver, so its floor is its metal value: 0.1728 times the day's silver spot price. With 2.54 million made, worn examples trade for about their silver; collectors pay more for sharp, original coins and much more for uncirculated ones with full luster.
What would make yours worth more:
- Sharp detail with original luster
- A recognized variety for the date
- Professional grading for a key date
For market prices, look at recent sold results for the same coin in the same condition, not asking prices.
Quick answers
- Is the 1912 Canadian Quarter rare?
- Not by mintage. 2.54 million were made, but it is silver, so even worn examples are worth their metal value rather than face value.
- How many 1912 Canadian quarters were made?
- 2,544,199 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 1912 Canadian Quarter made of?
- Sterling silver (92.5% silver, 7.5% copper). It weighs 5.83 g and measures 23.62 mm.
- Is the 1912 Canadian Quarter still legal tender?
- Yes. Every Canadian quarter is legal tender at 25 cents, but a silver one is worth more for its metal than its face value.
The 1912 quarter in context
The 1912 quarter is where the legend was put right. After complaints about the 1911 coins, the dies were changed to read GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: REX ET IND: IMP:, restoring the reference to God. That wording stayed on Canadian quarters for the rest of the reign. The Ottawa mint struck 2,544,199 quarters dated 1912, a big increase on the year before. It was still sterling silver, as every Canadian quarter would be until 1919. The new wording was a small edit, but one that every Canadian could read in their pocket change.
For collectors the 1912 is the first coin of the standard George V type, the one that runs through to 1936. It is a common date in worn condition, but it matters as the partner to the 1911: the two side by side show a change the public itself forced on the coinage. Mintages kept climbing through the First World War, so the 1912 ends up as one of the busier George V sterling dates, behind only 1917, 1918 and 1919. Mackennal's portrait itself did not change; only the lettering around it did.
How to recognize it
The obverse shows Mackennal's crowned and robed bust of the king with GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: REX ET IND: IMP:. Find DEI GRA: between the name and REX and you know the coin is 1912 or later. The reverse is unchanged, with 25 CENTS, CANADA and 1912 inside the maple wreath beneath a crown. Sterling silver, about 5.8 g, the coin holds roughly 0.173 troy ounces of pure silver. On worn coins the 2 can look like a 3, but 1913 is a similar coin with a similar mintage, so a misreading changes little. Wear shows first on the crown and the king's beard.
1912 Canadian Quarter by the numbers
By the numbers, the 1912 Canadian Quarter ranks 54th lowest of 147 Canadian quarter dates and varieties from 1870 to 2024. The next scarcer is the 1954 Canadian Quarter (2.32 million); the next more common is the 1948 Canadian Quarter (2.56 million).
For scale, the most common is the 2000 Canadian Quarter with 434.1 million, about 171 times as many. The scarcest is the 1889 Canadian Quarter with 66,324, 38 times fewer than this one.
Compared with the dates around it, the 1912 output was 1.5 times the 1911 figure and 1.1 times the 1913 figure.
Over the 1910s the Mint produced 26.4 million quarters across 10 dates and varieties; the 1912 Canadian Quarter accounts for 9.6% of that.
What to check on your 1912 Canadian Quarter
- Check the date first: silver Canadian quarters carry dates from 1870 to 1968; this one has 0.1728 troy oz. Silver coins are not magnetic and ring clearly when dropped on a hard surface.
- Never clean it. Rubbing or polishing leaves fine scratches that collectors spot at once and that cut the value of silver dates sharply.
- Look at the high points of the portrait and the design. Wear there sets the grade. The grade in turn drives the value of older quarters.
A mintage of 2,544,199 makes the 1912 one of the easier George V sterling dates. Worn coins carry a small premium over their silver content, while well struck pieces with crisp crowns and clear leaves draw more. Paired with a 1911, it makes a neat two coin story of the Godless legend. Check for damage and cleaning, which reduce interest even on common dates. Uncirculated 1912s with original luster are much harder to find than worn ones and draw strong interest.
George V sterling quarters, 1911 to 1919
George V's crowned and robed portrait by Bertram Mackennal first appeared on quarters dated 1911 and it started with an argument. The legend read GEORGIVS V REX ET IND: IMP:, leaving out DEI GRA:, the reference to ruling by the grace of God. Many Canadians were offended by what the press called Godless coins and from 1912 the dies were corrected to GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: REX ET IND: IMP:. The 1911 quarter is the only one with the short legend, which makes it simple to spot.
The coins stayed sterling silver, about 5.8 g with roughly 0.173 troy ounces of pure silver, all struck at the Ottawa branch of the Royal Mint. The First World War pushed demand up sharply. After a dip to 242,382 in 1915, the lowest figure of the sterling years, output climbed to 3,365,644 in 1917, 4,175,649 in 1918 and 5,852,262 in 1919. That 1919 run was the largest for any Canadian quarter up to then and the last in sterling, because the silver content was cut the following year.
For this group the questions are the date and the legend. A 1911 is a one-year type and draws steady interest; the 1915 is the scarce date and the one to set aside if you find it. The late war years are the commonest coins of the period and turn up in old accumulations. Wear hits the crown jewels, the king's beard and the high points of the wreath first. A quarter from these years with the sterling purity and a sharp crown is a nice coin to own even in a common date.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 25 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Canadian Mint |
| Year | 1912 |
| Circulation mintage | 2,544,199 |
| Composition | Sterling silver (92.5% silver, 7.5% copper) |
| Weight | 5.83 g |
| Diameter | 23.62 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Reeded |
Frequently asked questions
What changed on the 1912 Canadian quarter?
The legend. Coins dated 1912 restored DEI GRA:, short for by the grace of God, which had been left off the 1911 issue. The new legend read GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: REX ET IND: IMP: for the rest of the reign.
Is the 1912 Canadian quarter silver?
Yes, sterling silver, 92.5 percent pure, weighing about 5.8 g. That is roughly 0.173 troy ounces of pure silver, so even a worn 1912 quarter is worth more than face value for its metal.
Mintage figures: Quarter (Canadian coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Canadian Mint figures. How we build these pages.