1948 Canadian Quarter
The 1948 Canadian Quarter is a Canadian quarter struck for circulation with 2.56 million made. Value band: metal value. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 1948
- Circulation mintage
- 2,564,424
- 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 1948 Canadian Quarter worth?
The 1948 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 2.56 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 1948 Canadian Quarter rare?
- Not by mintage. 2.56 million were made, but it is silver, so even worn examples are worth their metal value rather than face value.
- How many 1948 Canadian quarters were made?
- 2,564,424 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 1948 Canadian Quarter made of?
- 80% silver, 20% copper. It weighs 5.83 g and measures 23.62 mm.
- Is the 1948 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 1948 quarter in context
The 1948 quarters are the first with George VI's new legend. With India independent, the king was no longer Emperor of India and the legend became GEORGIVS VI DEI GRATIA REX, dropping ET IND: IMP:. The new dies arrived partway through 1948, after the mint had spent the early part of the year striking 1947 dated coins with a maple leaf. It is also the first George VI quarter to spell out DEI GRATIA in full, so the legend looks longer even though it lost a title.
Partly because the maple leaf coins covered the early months, the 1948 mintage is modest: 2,564,424, compared with 7,988,630 the next year. It is the key date of the later legend. The change works like a one-way door: every quarter from 1948 to 1952 shares the new wording, while everything before it carries the imperial title. For anyone sorting George VI silver, the legend tells you which side of 1948 you are on before you even read the date. That is why 1948 is so easy to place even when worn.
How to recognize it
Paget's portrait of George VI faces left inside the new legend GEORGIVS VI DEI GRATIA REX. The reverse is Hahn's caribou with CANADA, 25 CENTS and 1948. To place the coin quickly, read the legend: if it spells out DEI GRATIA and has no ET IND: IMP:, the coin is 1948 or later. The final 8 can look like a 9 or a 6 when worn, so check it closely. Metal and size are the usual 80 percent silver, 5.83 g and 23.62 mm, with roughly 0.15 troy ounces of pure silver. On worn coins, check the antler tips and the hair above the king's ear for remaining detail.
1948 Canadian Quarter by the numbers
By the numbers, the 1948 Canadian Quarter ranks 55th lowest of 147 Canadian quarter dates and varieties from 1870 to 2024. The next scarcer is the 1912 Canadian Quarter (2.54 million); the next more common is the 1937 Canadian Quarter (2.69 million).
For scale, the most common is the 2000 Canadian Quarter with 434.1 million, about 169 times as many. The scarcest is the 1889 Canadian Quarter with 66,324, 39 times fewer than this one.
Compared with the dates around it, the 1948 output was 1.7 times fewer than 1947 and 3.1 times fewer than 1949.
Over the 1940s the Mint produced 67.9 million quarters across 11 dates and varieties; the 1948 Canadian Quarter accounts for 3.8% of that.
What to check on your 1948 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.
- 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 2,564,424, the 1948 is scarcer than any other date with the new legend and carries a premium over silver in all grades, with more for uncirculated coins. Worn coins are the usual find. It pairs naturally with the 1947 maple leaf and the plain 1947 to tell the story of the legend change. Avoid cleaned coins and look for sharp antler tips. A bright uncirculated 1948 is one of the better finds among George VI quarters. Like all silver quarters, it ignores a magnet.
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 | 1948 |
| Circulation mintage | 2,564,424 |
| Composition | 80% silver, 20% copper |
| Weight | 5.83 g |
| Diameter | 23.62 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Reeded |
Frequently asked questions
Why is the legend different on 1948 Canadian quarters?
India became independent in 1947, so George VI was no longer Emperor of India. From 1948 the legend dropped ET IND: IMP: and read GEORGIVS VI DEI GRATIA REX instead.
Is the 1948 Canadian quarter scarce?
It has the lowest mintage of the new legend years, with 2,564,424 struck, far below the 7,988,630 of 1949. It carries a premium over its silver, especially in uncirculated condition.
Mintage figures: Quarter (Canadian coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Canadian Mint figures. How we build these pages.