Obverse: identify the front

The illustrated obverse shows a crowned George V bust facing left, draped shoulders and B.M. initials near the bust truncation. Its outer legend includes GEORGIVS V and DEI GRA. This is the photographed 1912 type, not every quarter in the period. The 1910 Edward VII type faces right. The 1911 George V legend omits DEI GRA, which appears on the 1912–1919 type. Preserve the complete portrait and legend in an appraisal image rather than identifying by a cropped royal head.

Reverse: identify the back

The photographed reverse reads 25 CENTS, CANADA and 1912. A crown sits above the denomination, with maple branches enclosing the lettering and joining at a ribbon below. Read 25 carefully: other Canadian silver denominations share a crown-and-wreath arrangement. The date belongs to this physical coin’s design; the photograph does not certify the striking year, mint, grade or authenticity of another example. Later quarters also retain 25 cents as a denomination despite changes to their design and composition.

History and purpose

The reference distinguishes the heavier Edward VII quarter in 1910 as KM11a, followed by George V in 1911 as KM18 and the revised legend in 1912 as KM24. Earlier Victoria and Edward VII quarters belong to the lighter standard shown in the table below. The Royal Canadian Mint records the quarter’s first issue in 1870 and the maple-bough reverse through 1936. Sterling ends in 1919; the .800 silver standard starts in 1920. The familiar caribou reverse begins in 1937, after this profile’s sterling period.

How to identify this variant

Confirm CANADA, 25 CENTS, a date from 1910–1919 and the matching monarch/legend type before counting. The reference’s reference mass is 5.8319 g with .925 fineness. The illustrated KM24 reference diameter is 23.5 mm; the Mint’s 23.62-mm display differs and is disclosed below. The museum describes a milled edge. Record an actual coin’s mass, diameter and edge separately. A wreath, portrait or quarter denomination alone does not distinguish an earlier lighter sterling coin, a later .800 piece, a Newfoundland issue or a modern recreation.

Understanding its metal content

One identified later sterling quarter contributes .1734 reference fine silver troy ounce. Three matching coins total .5202 reference ounce and 17.4957 nominal gross grams. The nominal mass product is 5.8319 g × .925 = 5.3945075 g silver per coin; converting rounded mass and fineness may not reproduce every reported ASW digit. Use the stated the reference consistently. Three earlier 5.8100-g quarters instead correspond to .5184 reference ounce using their .1728-ounce type figure, and must not be combined into this count.

The reference sterling quarter standards by dated type

Victoria KM5 — 1870–1872, 1874–1875, 1880–1883, 1885–1894, 1899–1901

5.8100 g; .925 silver; .1728 fine silver troy ounce. Earlier standard: exclude from this calculator.

Edward VII KM11 — 1902–1909

5.8100 g; .925 silver; .1728 fine silver troy ounce. Earlier standard: exclude from this calculator.

Edward VII KM11a — 1910

5.8319 g; .925 silver; .1734 fine silver troy ounce. Included in this calculator after identification.

George V KM18 — 1911

5.8319 g; .925 silver; .1734 fine silver troy ounce. Included in this calculator after identification.

George V KM24 — 1912–1919

5.8319 g; .925 silver; .1734 fine silver troy ounce. Included in this calculator after identification.

Dates, varieties and composition changes

This heavier scope has ten confirmed issue years, 1910–1919. Unlike the half dollar, it includes a 1915 issue; the Mint records 242,382 quarters for that year. KM11a, KM18 and KM24 distinguish the 1910 monarch and the 1911/1912 legend boundary. Earlier types have other varieties: the reference lists 1872H with an inverted A for V, several 1880H zero forms, an 1886/3 overdate, 1902H and two 1906 crown sizes. Those earlier varieties are identification context, not additional .1734-ounce issues. Annual coverage does not promise every mint/finish combination.

Melt value versus collector value

A collector may distinguish legend, crown, overdate, mint and finish varieties that a metal-only calculation cannot price. Keep any certified attribution, provenance and original packaging with the coin. The illustrated museum object is catalogued as a working strike, not a proof or specimen strike; the photograph does not grade a customer coin. Send unusual letter forms, a possible overdate or a scarce attributed variety for qualified appraisal before mixing it into a bulk lot. Preserve the surfaces and avoid cleaning them to resemble the reference.

Authenticity and condition

Photograph both complete faces, the date, outer legends and the actual edge. Measure mass and diameter with suitable tools, recording the result apart from nominal catalog specifications. Weight alone does not establish authenticity, especially when sources use different diameter precision and an individual coin may be worn or altered. Exclude plated, mounted, damaged or unresolved pieces from the counted lot until their identity and alloy are examined. A matching George V portrait is useful identification evidence but is not an assay or authentication certificate.

Selling this coin

Separate the heavier 1910–1919 sterling quarters from earlier lighter sterling pieces, later .800 and .500 silver quarters, nickel coins and other denominations. Count only the identified heavier group in this calculator. Use the existing photo-appraisal form to send clear front and back images, and mention visible variety details and actual measurements. No live dollar quote is configured; reference metal content is educational and does not establish a purchase offer, collector premium or the amount recoverable from a worn individual coin.

Sources and calculation methodology

This profile calculates only the heavier .925 sterling quarter dated 1910–1919: the reference KM11a, KM18 and KM24 each report 5.8319 g and .1734 fine silver troy ounce, matching the selected melt reference. Earlier KM5 and KM11 use 5.8100 g and .1728 ounce; do not count those coins here. The retained URL contains the broader melt-table envelope but does not broaden this calculator scope. The Mint rounds the later mass to 5.83 g and lists 23.62 mm diameter; the reference KM24 gives 23.5 mm, used here as the illustrated type reference. The reference KM5 gives 23.88 mm and KM11 23.4 mm. Those earlier diameter displays are not this type’s specification. The museum measures its individual 1912 object at 5.841 g and 23 mm; those observations do not replace nominal inputs. The issuer’s 5.81-g technical heading overlaps 1910, while its dated 1910 mintage and the reference KM11a establish the later type. Reported ASW is a reference, not a customer assay. The ten later years and the thirty earlier dates were independently read from five the reference annual type tables. The Mint’s dated mintages corroborate 1910–1919, including 1915. Museums Victoria identifies the photographed 1912 working strike as NU7617. Both image-specific captions independently credit Justine Philip and permit CC BY 4.0 reuse. Resized WebP derivatives preserve the genuine faces with attribution. Earlier lighter quarters remain a separate subtype research task; no unexplained mass average or alloy ratio is used.

Common questions

References

• NGC: Canadian sterling quarter melt reference — identity; broad 1870–1919 envelope; weight 5.8319 g; fineness .925; ASW .1734 oz; dated-type scope required (checked 2026-10-11)
• NGC: Canada 25 Cents KM# 5 annual issues and specification — identity; actual annual dates; weight, fineness and ASW by dated type; design portrait, reverse, legend and varieties; diameter where shown; early versus later standard explained (checked 2026-10-11)
• NGC: Canada 25 Cents KM# 18 annual issues and specification — identity; actual annual dates; weight, fineness and ASW by dated type; design portrait, reverse, legend and varieties; diameter where shown; early versus later standard explained (checked 2026-10-11)
• NGC: Canada 25 Cents KM# 24 annual issues and specification — identity; actual annual dates; weight, fineness and ASW by dated type; design portrait, reverse, legend and varieties; diameter where shown; early versus later standard explained (checked 2026-10-11)
• NGC: Canada 25 Cents KM# 11 annual issues and specification — identity; actual annual dates; weight, fineness and ASW by dated type; design portrait, reverse, legend and varieties; diameter where shown; early versus later standard explained (checked 2026-10-11)
• NGC: Canada 25 Cents KM# 11a annual issues and specification — identity; actual annual dates; weight, fineness and ASW by dated type; design portrait, reverse, legend and varieties; diameter where shown; early versus later standard explained (checked 2026-10-11)
• Royal Canadian Mint: quarter composition and annual mintages — identity; .925 boundary through 1919; .800 from 1920; design maple boughs and caribou; weight 5.81 versus 5.83 g; diameter 23.62 mm discrepancy; 1910–1919 annual issues including 1915 (checked 2026-10-11)
• Museums Victoria: 1912 quarter working strike NU7617 — identity; design portrait, reverse and milled edge; Ottawa mint; object diameter and mass separate from nominal standard; genuine working-strike photograph context (checked 2026-10-11)

Issue-year references

• NGC: Canada 25 Cents KM# 18 annual issues and specification
• NGC: Canada 25 Cents KM# 24 annual issues and specification
• NGC: Canada 25 Cents KM# 11a annual issues and specification
• Royal Canadian Mint: quarter composition and annual mintages

Content maintained by CashForCoins. Last substantive record update: 2026-10-11. Report a specification or attribution issue through our contact page.

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