1973 Large Bust Canadian Quarter
The 1973 Large Bust Canadian Quarter is a Canadian quarter struck for circulation with 135 million made. Value band: collector premium. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 1973
- Circulation mintage
- 134,958,587
- Value band
- Collector premium
- Composition
- Nickel (99.9%)
Original illustration of the coin's shape and metal. Tap to flip. Not a picture of the actual design.
Face value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 1973 Large Bust Canadian Quarter worth?
The 1973 Large Bust Canadian Quarter is a variety, so its scarcity is not visible in the published 135 million, which counts both the Large Bust and Small Bust coins of 1973 together. Only a small share of 1973 quarters are this variety, which is why collectors pay a collector premium for a confirmed example and much more for one in sharp, original condition.
What would make yours worth more:
- Full uncirculated luster
- A recognized variety or genuine error
- Coins from a specimen or proof set
For market prices, look at recent sold results for the same coin in the same condition, not asking prices.
Quick answers
- Is the 1973 Large Bust Canadian Quarter rare?
- Yes, by the standards of Canadian quarters. The 1973 Large Bust Canadian Quarter is a variety, so its scarcity is not visible in the published 135 million, which counts both the Large Bust and Small Bust coins of 1973 together.
- How many 1973 Large Bust Canadian quarters were made?
- 134,958,587 were struck for circulation (a combined figure for the Large Bust and Small Bust varieties).
- What is the 1973 Large Bust Canadian Quarter made of?
- Nickel (99.9%). It weighs 5.05 g and measures 23.88 mm.
- Is the 1973 Large Bust Canadian Quarter still legal tender?
- Yes. Every Canadian quarter is legal tender at 25 cents.
The 1973 quarter in context
In 1973 the caribou made way for a one-year design honoring the centennial of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Paul Cedarberg's reverse shows a Mountie in uniform on horseback with the dates 1873 and 1973. The mint struck 134,958,587 of these quarters, so the design itself is very common. It was only the second time since 1937 that the caribou had been replaced on a regular quarter, after the 1967 bobcat. The variety that matters, though, is on the other side.
That year the mint changed the obverse, using a smaller version of the queen's portrait. Most 1973 quarters have this small bust. A small number were struck with the older, larger portrait used on quarters before 1973 and those large bust coins are the rare variety. The published mintage does not separate them; it covers both busts together. Collectors rank the large bust among the important modern Canadian varieties. It is also one of the few that someone could still find in change, since the RCMP quarter circulated widely and plenty were never checked.
How to recognize it
The reverse shows the RCMP officer on horseback with CANADA, 25 CENTS and 1873 1973. The obverse carries Machin's portrait of the queen with ELIZABETH II D·G·REGINA. On the large bust variety the portrait is noticeably bigger, filling more of the field, with the bust and the queen's head sitting closer to the legend and the rim. Compare it with a common 1973 and with a 1972 quarter: the large bust should match the 1972 in size. The coin is pure nickel, 5.07 g and magnetic, like the regular 1973. If the portrait looks crowded against the legend, take a closer look.
1973 Large Bust Canadian Quarter by the numbers
The published 134,958,587 for 1973 covers both the Large Bust and Small Bust varieties together, so neither can be ranked on its own. As a date, 1973 sits 129th lowest among Canadian quarter dates by output.
Compared with the dates around it, the 1973 output was 3.1 times the 1972 figure and 1.4 times fewer than 1974. Other 1973 quarters: 1973 Small Bust Canadian Quarter.
Over the 1970s the Mint produced 1.06 billion quarters across 10 dates and varieties; the 1973 Large Bust Canadian Quarter accounts for 13% of that.
What to check on your 1973 Large Bust Canadian Quarter
- Try a magnet. Nickel (99.9%) is magnetic, so a genuine 1973 coin sticks; a silver one would not.
- Confirm the variety: large bust. 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 and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
- Look for full luster and no scratches. Modern quarters only interest collectors in uncirculated condition or with a recognized variety.
The large bust is a significant rarity among modern Canadian coins and carries a collector premium even in circulated condition, with much more interest in uncirculated grades. Because the difference is one of size, comparing your coin with a known small bust 1973 is the easiest check. Misreading is easy without a comparison coin, so get a specialist or grading service opinion before you assume you have one. Check every RCMP quarter you come across. Never clean a suspected large bust.
Nickel quarters, 1968 to 2000
From 1968 the quarter was pure nickel, 5.07 g and 23.88 mm, a hard metal that wears well and is attracted to a magnet. Machin's portrait of the queen continued until 1989 and Hahn's caribou was back on the reverse. Mintages became enormous, with 133,037,929 in 1969 and 192,360,598 in 1974. The one regular break in the caribou came in 1973, when a Mountie on horseback marked the centennial of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
A few years stand out for low output. Only 10,302,010 quarters are dated 1970 and 13,162,000 are dated 1983, but the real oddity is 1991, with just 459,000. In 1990 Dora de Pédery-Hunt's crowned portrait replaced Machin's; she was the first Canadian artist to design the royal effigy for Canada's coins. The 1992 quarters were a 125th anniversary set with one design for each province and territory, so there is no regular 1992 figure. Neither 1997 nor 1998 has one either.
The century closed with the millennium program: twelve designs for 1999, one for each month, then twelve more for 2000, drawn from ideas sent in by Canadians. Alongside them the caribou kept going with huge runs. For collectors, the coins to set aside are the 1973 large bust variety, the 1991 and to a lesser degree 1970 and 1983. Nearly everything else from these years is a face value coin, though bright uncirculated pieces are pleasant to keep.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 25 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Canadian Mint |
| Year | 1973 |
| Circulation mintage | 134,958,587 (with the Small Bust variety) |
| Composition | Nickel (99.9%) |
| Weight | 5.05 g |
| Diameter | 23.88 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Reeded |
Other 1973 Canadian quarters
| Coin | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 Small Bust Canadian Quarter | 134,958,587 | Face value |
Frequently asked questions
How can you tell a 1973 large bust quarter?
Compare the queen's portrait with a common 1973 RCMP quarter. On the large bust variety, the portrait is bigger and comes closer to the lettering and rim, matching the size used on quarters dated 1972 and earlier.
How rare is the 1973 large bust quarter?
Only a small number were struck with the large portrait, out of a combined 1973 mintage of 134,958,587. No separate figure is published, but the large bust is one of the best known modern Canadian rarities.
Mintage figures: Quarter (Canadian coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Canadian Mint figures. How we build these pages.