1947 Maple Leaf Canadian Quarter
The 1947 Maple Leaf Canadian Quarter is a Canadian quarter struck for circulation with 4.39 million made. Value band: metal value. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 1947
- Circulation mintage
- 4,393,938
- Value band
- Metal value
- Composition
- 80% silver, 20% 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 1947 Maple Leaf Canadian Quarter worth?
The 1947 Maple Leaf Canadian Quarter is a silver coin with 0.15 troy ounces of pure silver, so its floor is its metal value: 0.15 times the day's silver spot price. With 4.39 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 1947 Maple Leaf Canadian Quarter rare?
- Not by mintage. 4.39 million were made, but it is silver, so even worn examples are worth their metal value rather than face value.
- How many 1947 Maple Leaf Canadian quarters were made?
- 4,393,938 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 1947 Maple Leaf Canadian Quarter made of?
- 80% silver, 20% copper. It weighs 5.83 g and measures 23.62 mm.
- Is the 1947 Maple Leaf 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 1947 quarter in context
In 1948 the mint faced a familiar problem. India's independence meant George VI's legend had to drop ET IND: IMP:, the reference to his title as Emperor of India, but the new dies were not ready. To keep producing coins, the mint went on using its 1947 dies and added a small maple leaf after the date. That leaf signaled that the coin was actually made in 1948. It was a neat solution: the coins stayed familiar while the leaf told collectors when they were really made.
The maple leaf was used across the denominations that year, from the cent to the silver dollar, so collectors look for 1947 maple leaf coins in every size. For the quarter, 4,393,938 were struck, nearly three times the plain 1947. Once the new dies arrived, the mint switched to 1948 coins reading GEORGIVS VI DEI GRATIA REX. Collectors treat the maple leaf quarter as a classic Canadian variety, with an easy-to-see mark and a clear historical reason behind it. Few varieties are easier to see.
How to recognize it
The obverse is Paget's portrait of George VI with GEORGIVS VI D:G: REX ET IND: IMP:, the same legend as the plain 1947. The reverse shows Hahn's caribou with CANADA, 25 CENTS and 1947, followed by a tiny maple leaf just after the 7. The leaf is the whole story. On worn coins it can be faint, so tilt the coin under a light. A leaf should be raised and shaped like a leaf, not a scratch or a spot of dirt. The coin is 80 percent silver, 5.83 g, with about 0.15 troy ounces of pure silver. Size is 23.62 mm.
1947 Maple Leaf Canadian Quarter by the numbers
Measured by how many were made, the 1947 Maple Leaf Canadian Quarter ranks 63rd lowest of 147 Canadian quarter dates and varieties from 1870 to 2024. The next scarcer is the 1918 Canadian Quarter (4.18 million); the next more common is the 1945 Canadian Quarter (5.3 million).
For scale, the most common is the 2000 Canadian Quarter with 434.1 million, about 99 times as many. The scarcest is the 1889 Canadian Quarter with 66,324, 66 times fewer than this one.
Compared with the dates around it, the 1947 output was 2 times the 1946 figure and 1.7 times the 1948 figure. Other 1947 quarters: 1947 Canadian Quarter (1.52 million).
Over the 1940s the Mint produced 67.9 million quarters across 11 dates and varieties; the 1947 Maple Leaf Canadian Quarter accounts for 6.5% of that.
What to check on your 1947 Maple Leaf Canadian Quarter
- Check the date first: silver Canadian quarters carry dates from 1870 to 1968; this one has 0.15 troy oz. Silver coins are not magnetic and ring clearly when dropped on a hard surface.
- Confirm the variety: maple leaf after the date. Use a magnifier and compare with a reference picture before you assume you have the scarcer one.
- 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.
At 4,393,938, the maple leaf quarter is the more common of the two 1947s, but it is a well known variety and carries a premium over its silver, especially in high grade. Collectors usually pair it with the plain 1947. Coins with a strong, clearly formed leaf are preferred. As with any variety, avoid coins where the leaf looks tooled or uneven, which can be signs of tampering. Worn coins are plentiful, so there is no need to settle for one with a doubtful leaf.
George VI caribou quarters, 1937 to 1952
The coins of 1937 changed the look of Canadian money. Instead of crowns and wreaths, the new reverses showed Canadian subjects and the quarter got a woodland caribou's head by the sculptor Emanuel Hahn. The obverse carries Thomas Humphrey Paget's bare-headed portrait of George VI with the legend GEORGIVS VI D:G: REX ET IND: IMP:. The coin stayed at 80 percent silver, 5.83 g and 23.62 mm, with about 0.15 troy ounces of pure silver. The caribou has been the regular quarter's reverse ever since.
The Second World War brought record demand, with 13,559,575 quarters dated 1943. India's independence in 1947 then forced a change to the legend, because the king was no longer Emperor of India. New dies without ET IND: IMP: were not ready at the start of 1948, so the mint kept striking 1947 dated coins and marked them with a small maple leaf after the date. Quarters with the new legend, GEORGIVS VI DEI GRATIA REX, are dated 1948 to 1952.
The dates to look for in this group are 1946, 1947 and 1948, which all have mintages between about 1.5 and 2.6 million. Add the 1947 maple leaf, the best known variety of the reign. Compare the legend with the date: a quarter showing ET IND: IMP: should be dated 1947 or earlier. George VI died in February 1952, but quarters dated 1952 still carry his portrait. Wear shows on the king's hair above the ear and on the caribou's nose and the fur of its neck.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 25 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Canadian Mint |
| Year | 1947 |
| Circulation mintage | 4,393,938 |
| Composition | 80% silver, 20% copper |
| Weight | 5.83 g |
| Diameter | 23.62 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Reeded |
Other 1947 Canadian quarters
| Coin | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|
| 1947 Canadian Quarter | 1,524,554 | Metal value |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1947 maple leaf Canadian quarter?
It is a 1947 dated quarter with a small maple leaf after the date. The leaf shows it was struck in 1948, when the mint reused 1947 dies while waiting for new ones without the IND: IMP: title.
Is the 1947 maple leaf quarter rare?
Not by Canadian standards. 4,393,938 were struck, nearly three times the plain 1947. It is a popular variety and carries a premium over its silver, but the plain 1947 is actually the scarcer coin.
Mintage figures: Quarter (Canadian coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Canadian Mint figures. How we build these pages.