1915 Canadian Quarter
The 1915 Canadian Quarter is a Canadian quarter struck for circulation with 242,382 made. Value band: collector premium. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 1915
- Circulation mintage
- 242,382
- Value band
- Collector premium
- 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 1915 Canadian Quarter worth?
With 242,382 struck, the 1915 Canadian Quarter ranks 9th lowest of the 147 circulating Canadian quarters we track. Collectors pay a collector premium even for worn examples. Sharp, uncirculated coins with no marks bring considerably more.
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 1915 Canadian Quarter rare?
- Yes, by the standards of Canadian quarters. With 242,382 struck, the 1915 Canadian Quarter ranks 9th lowest of the 147 circulating Canadian quarters we track.
- How many 1915 Canadian quarters were made?
- 242,382 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 1915 Canadian Quarter made of?
- Sterling silver (92.5% silver, 7.5% copper). It weighs 5.83 g and measures 23.62 mm.
- Is the 1915 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 1915 quarter in context
In the middle of the First World War, the Ottawa mint struck only 242,382 quarters dated 1915, the lowest figure for any George V sterling quarter. The years either side were far larger: 1,215,397 in 1914 and 1,462,566 in 1916. Whatever the reason for the dip, 1915 ended up as a small run between two big ones and it has been the key date of the sterling George V series ever since.
The 1915 is the coin people search for in a pile of George V silver. Many collectors fill the rest of the 1911 to 1919 run easily and then wait a long time for a 1915 in the right condition. After 1916 production climbed hard, reaching 5,852,262 in 1919, so the 1915 is an outlier in an otherwise well supplied decade. Nothing in the following four years came close to it. Even worn examples are wanted, as long as the date is clear and the coin has not been damaged. That makes it the quarter most worth checking in any jar of old Canadian silver.
How to recognize it
Mackennal's crowned bust of George V carries the full legend GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: REX ET IND: IMP:. The reverse shows 25 CENTS, CANADA and 1915 inside the maple wreath with a crown above. There is no mint mark. Check the final digit with care: a worn 5 can be read as a 3 or a 6 and both 1913 and 1916 are much more common. Look for the flat top bar of the 5. In sterling silver at about 5.8 g, it holds roughly 0.173 troy ounces of pure silver. Weight is the same as other sterling quarters of the reign, so a light coin is suspect.
1915 Canadian Quarter by the numbers
By the numbers, the 1915 Canadian Quarter ranks 9th lowest of 147 Canadian quarter dates and varieties from 1870 to 2024. The next scarcer is the 1894 Canadian Quarter (220,000); the next more common is the 1934 Canadian Quarter (384,350).
For scale, the most common is the 2000 Canadian Quarter with 434.1 million, about 1791 times as many. The scarcest is the 1889 Canadian Quarter with 66,324, 3.7 times fewer than this one.
Compared with the dates around it, the 1915 output was 5 times fewer than 1914 and 6 times fewer than 1916.
Over the 1910s the Mint produced 26.4 million quarters across 10 dates and varieties; the 1915 Canadian Quarter accounts for 0.9% of that.
What to check on your 1915 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.
At 242,382, the 1915 carries a collector premium in every grade and is the key coin of the George V sterling years. Altered dates are always a risk with keys like this, so examine the 5 for tool marks and compare the digit spacing with a 1916. Most survivors are well worn. A coin with a clear crown and visible leaf veins is a significant find. A grading service can confirm authenticity and grade. Even a holed or scratched 1915 keeps some 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 | 1915 |
| Circulation mintage | 242,382 |
| Composition | Sterling silver (92.5% silver, 7.5% copper) |
| Weight | 5.83 g |
| Diameter | 23.62 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Reeded |
Frequently asked questions
Why is the 1915 Canadian quarter rare?
Only 242,382 were struck, the lowest George V sterling mintage, compared with more than a million in both 1914 and 1916. That small run makes it the key date of the 1911 to 1919 quarters.
How do you check the date on a worn 1915 quarter?
Use a magnifier and good light. The final 5 has a flat top bar and an open lower curve. If it looks closed like a 6 or rounded like a 3, it is probably a more common date.
Mintage figures: Quarter (Canadian coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Canadian Mint figures. How we build these pages.