Gold Canadian Maple Leafs

Gold Canadian Maple Leafs at Silver.com

The official gold bullion coin of Canada is the Gold Canadian Maple Leaf. This coin program is among the most popular releases in the world and is renowned for its design, security features, and purity among others. Learn more about these Gold Canadian Maple Leafs, right here at Silver.com.

Background of the Series

The world’s first gold bullion coin was the Gold South African Krugerrand, which was introduced in 1967. While the Krugerrand was the first, these coins were hard to obtain. These being hard to obtain, parlayed with a bull market on gold in the 1970s, led to other mints creating their own gold bullion coinage. Among these was the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM), which created the Gold Canadian Maple Leaf in 1979 as the first gold bullion coin to come after the Krugerrand.

The Gold Canadian Maple Leaf was first made available in 1979 and has been issued annually ever since. In November of 1982, the series made a big change as the purity of the gold increased from .999 fine gold to .9999 fine gold.

The Royal Canadian Mint has also experimented with some .99999 gold options as well as special privy mark coins to celebrate anniversaries, holidays, and more.

Design

The design of these coins has not changed since they debuted in 1979. The reverse side has always shown the sugar maple leaf, designed by Walter Ott. The maple leaf is seen front and center while identifying marks of the coin surrounds it. The obverse has also depicted the reigning British monarch at the time. Over the years this has included several unique designs such as the following:

• 1979-1989: Arnold Machin’s effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.
• 1990-2003: Dora de Pédery-Hunt’s portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
• 2004-2023: Susanna Blunt’s image of Queen Elizabeth II.
• 2024-Present: Steven Rosati’s design of King Charles III.

Sizes Available

The 1 oz version debuted in 1979. In 1982, the RCM introduced a 1/4 oz and a 1/10 oz option. A 1/2 oz coin was added in 1986, followed by a 1/20 oz version in 1993. A 1/15 oz coin was added just for the 15th anniversary. Finally, a 1 gram coin was added to the lineup in 2014.

• 1 Gram: $0.50 (CAD)
• 1/20 oz: $1 (CAD)
• 1/10 oz: $5 (CAD)
• 1/4 oz: $10 (CAD)
• 1/2 oz: $20 (CAD)
• 1 oz: $50 (CAD)

Security Features

In 2013, the RCM added a laser-micro-engraved Maple Lead to the reverse side. This can be seen to the bottom right of the sugar maple leaf design. The year of issue is inscribed into this maple leaf and is only visible under magnification.

In 2015, radial lines were added to the obverse and reverse sides to make counterfeiting more difficult.

These coins since 2020 have also been available in MintID packaging. This packaging consists of the coin encased in a capsule, along with a blistercard. The blistercard features an AES-128 encrypted microchip.

Packaging

• 1 oz: 1 oz Gold Canadian Maple Leaf Coins will arrive in protective plastic flips. For larger orders, tubes of 10, or Monster Boxes of 500 are also available.
• 1/2 oz: 1/2 oz Gold Canadian Maple Leaf Coins will be shipped in protective plastic flips or sheets of 10 for larger orders.
• 1/4 oz: 1/4 oz Gold Canadian Maple Leaf Coins will come in protective plastic flips or sheets of 20 for larger orders.
• 1/10 oz: 1/10 oz Gold Canadian Maple Leaf Coins will be delivered in protective plastic flips, or sheets of 40 for larger orders.
• 1/20 oz: 1/20 oz Gold Canadian Maple Leaf Coins arrive in protective plastic flips.
• 1 Gram: 1 Gram Gold Canadian Maple Leaf Coins are available in flips, or sheets of 25.

Types of Gold Canadian Maple Leafs

• Anniversary Coins: The RCM issues coins in this series to celebrate events and milestones in Canadian history.
• Privy Mark Coins: The RCM sporadically releases special privy mark coins, similar to anniversary coins, to celebrate events, holidays, and milestones.
• Single Source Coins: Starting in 2022, the RCM started issuing these coins with gold from a single Canadian mining source. These coins will arrive in blistercards.

Purchasing Gold Canadian Maple Leafs at Silver.com

For any questions regarding Gold Canadian Maple Leafs or others, contact the Silver.com customer service team today at 1-888-989-7223. Our team can also be reached via email, or through our online chat feature.