Dei Gratia Regina
Encyclopedia
Dei Gratia Regina is Latin
for By the Grace of God, Queen. This phrase appears on the obverse of all Canadian coins to the right of the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
This is not to be confused with "D. G. REG. F. D." standing for Dei gratia regina fidei defensor which appears on British coins.
Exceptions include a commemorative Canadian 10-cent piece
from 2001, and a series of 25-cent pieces
commemorating the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, where the phrase is omitted from the coins' obverse for space reasons.
from 1902 until 1910 under King Edward VII
read "D. G. Rex Imperator" which is Latin for "By the Grace of God, King and Emperor". The "Dei Gra" portion was removed temporarily from Canadian coinage in 1911 and led to such a public uproar over the "godless" coins, that it was returned to Canadian coinage in the subsequent year. From 1912 to 1936, under George V
, it read "Dei Gra Rex Et Ind Imp" which stands for Dei Gratia Rex et Indiae Imperator which means "By the Grace of God, King and Emperor of India". From 1937 to 1947 under the reign of George VI
, it read either "Dei Gra Rex Et Ind Imp" as before or was abbreviated "D. G. Rex Et Ind Imp". From 1947 to 1952, still under George VI, after the condeferation of India, they read "Dei Gratia Rex". From 1952 until 1964, it read "Dei Gratia Regina" under Queen Elizabeth II. From 1965 onwards, it was abbreviated on all coins to the current phrase of "D. G. Regina".
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for By the Grace of God, Queen. This phrase appears on the obverse of all Canadian coins to the right of the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
This is not to be confused with "D. G. REG. F. D." standing for Dei gratia regina fidei defensor which appears on British coins.
Exceptions include a commemorative Canadian 10-cent piece
Dime (Canadian coin)
In Canada a dime is a coin worth ten cents. It is the smallest of the currently issued Canadian coins. According to the Royal Canadian Mint, the official national term of the coin is the 10 cent piece, but in practice the term dime is universal...
from 2001, and a series of 25-cent pieces
Quarter (Canadian coin)
The quarter is a Canadian coin, valued at 25 cents or one-fourth of a Canadian dollar. It is a small, circular coin of silver colour. According to the Royal Canadian Mint, the official name for the coin is the 25-cent piece, but in practice it is simply called a quarter.-History of...
commemorating the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, where the phrase is omitted from the coins' obverse for space reasons.
History
Coins mintedMint (coin)
A mint is an industrial facility which manufactures coins for currency.The history of mints correlates closely with the history of coins. One difference is that the history of the mint is usually closely tied to the political situation of an era...
from 1902 until 1910 under King Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
read "D. G. Rex Imperator" which is Latin for "By the Grace of God, King and Emperor". The "Dei Gra" portion was removed temporarily from Canadian coinage in 1911 and led to such a public uproar over the "godless" coins, that it was returned to Canadian coinage in the subsequent year. From 1912 to 1936, under George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
, it read "Dei Gra Rex Et Ind Imp" which stands for Dei Gratia Rex et Indiae Imperator which means "By the Grace of God, King and Emperor of India". From 1937 to 1947 under the reign of George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
, it read either "Dei Gra Rex Et Ind Imp" as before or was abbreviated "D. G. Rex Et Ind Imp". From 1947 to 1952, still under George VI, after the condeferation of India, they read "Dei Gratia Rex". From 1952 until 1964, it read "Dei Gratia Regina" under Queen Elizabeth II. From 1965 onwards, it was abbreviated on all coins to the current phrase of "D. G. Regina".