25 Cents - Elizabeth II Snowboarding, colored

Issued ahead of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, the Royal Canadian Mint produced a series of colored circulation quarters beginning in 2007 — an unusual decision for a coin intended to pass through everyday commerce. The color was applied via a printing process directly onto the struck planchet, making these among the first colored coins in Canadian circulation history rather than collector-only issues.

The ink holds poorly under heavy use, and worn examples with flaking or faded color are common. Fully vibrant surviving pieces are less a function of grade than of simple luck in the change drawer.