1916 Canadian Quarter

Quick answers

Is the 1916 Canadian Quarter rare?

Not by mintage. 1.46 million were made, but it is silver, so even worn examples are worth their metal value rather than face value.

How many 1916 Canadian quarters were made?

1,462,566 were struck for circulation.

What is the 1916 Canadian Quarter made of?

Sterling silver (92.5% silver, 7.5% copper). It weighs 5.83 g and measures 23.62 mm.

Is the 1916 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.

How to recognize it

The 1916 Canadian Quarter is round, 23.62 mm across and sterling silver (92.5% silver, 7.5% copper).

1916 Canadian Quarter by the numbers

In mintage terms the 1916 Canadian Quarter ranks 43rd lowest of 147 Canadian quarter dates and varieties from 1870 to 2024. The next scarcer is the 1909 Canadian Quarter (1.34 million); the next more common is the 1947 Canadian Quarter (1.52 million).

For scale, the most common is the 2000 Canadian Quarter with 434.1 million, about 297 times as many. The scarcest is the 1889 Canadian Quarter with 66,324, 22 times fewer than this one.

Compared with the dates around it, the 1916 output was 6 times the 1915 figure and 2.3 times fewer than 1917.

Over the 1910s the Mint produced 26.4 million quarters across 10 dates and varieties; the 1916 Canadian Quarter accounts for 5.5% of that.

What to check on your 1916 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.

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