[1] In a related event, the Canadian government also issued twenty-five cent notes to provide the country with fractional currency.

[1][3] The obverse featured a portrait of Queen Victoria (designed by Leonard C. Wyon) wearing a tiara, while the reverse had the denomination and date under a crown within a wreath.

[5][7] The Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Montreal commented in their entry for 1890 that this choice indicated that there was a rush of business at the Royal Mint that year.

[7] Coinage returned to the Royal Mint in 1891 and Canadian quarters were struck there through the remainder of Queen Victoria's reign.

British medalist George William de Saulles designed a right-facing bust of the king surrounded by the words "Edwardus VII Dei gratia Rex Imperator".

[5] When Edward VII died in 1910, a controversy arose in the following year with a new portrait design for George V. King George V's portrait was designed by Australian sculptor and medalist Bertram Mackennal with the words "Georgius V Rex et Ind:Imp:"; however, this was criticized by the public as the decision to omit "Dei gratia" (by the grace of God) was called "godless" and "graceless".

When quarter production resumed in 1927, the Royal Canadian Mint initially planned to strike commemorative coins to celebrate Canada's 60th anniversary.

The king is shown on the obverse side facing left, with the inscription "Georgius VI D:G: Rex Et Ind:Imp:".

[17] As the dies omitting the title were not immediately ready for use, a small maple leaf was added next to the 1947 dated coins on the reverse for quarters minted into 1948.

[18] King George VI died in 1952 and a new obverse effigy featuring Queen Elizabeth II appeared in the following year.

[22] In 1964, Queen Elizabeth approved a second effigy of herself on Canadian coinage which was made by British artist and sculptor Arnold Machin.

[23] This second bust features the Queen facing right while wearing a tiara surrounded by Latin text where "Dei Gratia" is abbreviated again to read "D.G.

"[19] When silver prices rose sharply in the mid-1960s, the Canadian government initially set 1966 as a proposed transition year for an alternative alloy for coinage.

According to James A. Haxby of the Roal Canadian Mint, a prowling bobcat was chosen for the centennial quarter to express "intelligent independence and decisive action".

[19] The lowest mintage of any circulated quarter post–World War II occurred in 1991 as the Royal Canadian Mint prepared resources for the following year.