Canadian 25-cent coin · Elizabeth II
1961 Canadian 25 cents (quarter)
A 1961 Canadian 25-cent coin contains 0.1500 troy ounces of silver.
Silver value, Canadian dollars
0.1500 troy ounces at US$64.70 per ounce, converted at 1.3917 (Bank of Canada, 2026-09-15). At last page build
What the Mint says it is made of
| Period | Composition | Weight | Silver | Diameter | Magnet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 - 1967 | 80% silver, 20% copper | 5.83 g | 0.1500 ozt | 23.88 mm | not attracted |
How many were struck
Reported mintage, 1961
That is the 53rd lowest of the 110 years in which the Mint reports striking a 25-cent coin, in a range running from 242,382 to 629,018,000. Mintage is a count of coins made, not of coins that survive: the Mint has no way of knowing how many of these were later returned and melted, and for a silver denomination in the 1960s that number is large.
Portrait on the obverse
Elizabeth II
The effigy of Queen Elizabeth II first appeared on Canadian coins in 1953 when she was 27 years old. The effigy pictured here was used until 1964, with the inscription ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA, meaning “Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, the Queen. ”
What one actually sells for
This site publishes no catalogue values, because those belong to Charlton and the grading services and we have no licence to them. Completed sales are the honest substitute.
Completed sales, newest first, so you are looking at what buyers paid rather than what sellers are asking. Affiliate link: we may earn a commission if you buy, at no cost to you, and it changes nothing on this page.
The design on the reverse
1937 - 1972, 1974 - 1991, 1993 - 1998, 2001-2008 and 2001-present
Emanuel Hahn's caribou design was adopted in 1937 in an effort to modernize Canada's circulation coins.
The rest of your 1961 change
Nobody inherits one denomination. If there is a 1961 25-cent coin in the tin, these are the other coins carrying that date and whether they hold any silver.
| Denomination | Composition in 1961 | Silver | Mintage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cent penny | 98% copper, 0.5% tin, 1.5% zinc | none | 139,598,404 |
| 5 cents nickel | 99.9% nickel | none | 47,889,051 |
| 10 cents dime | 80% silver, 20% copper | 0.0599 ozt | 26,850,859 |
| 50 cents half dollar | 80% silver, 20% copper | 0.2999 ozt | 3,584,417 |
| 1 dollar | 80% silver, 20% copper | 0.5993 ozt | 1,262,231 |