The Royal Canadian Mint is known for its brilliant designs and the purity of its gold. This has made the Gold Canadian Maple Leaf coins sought after by collectors and investors alike. First issued in 1979, the coins were initially minted in 99.9% fine gold. This made them the only fine gold bullion coins minted at that gold purity level along with the Krugerrands. The weight and purity of each coin are guaranteed by the Canadian Government. The 1981 1 oz Gold Canadian Maple Leaf Coin is available for purchase right now online at Silver.com.
Coin Highlights:
- Ships in a protective plastic flip!
- Third issue of the Gold Canadian Maple Leaf Coin!
- Consists of 1 Troy ounce of .999 fine gold.
- Featured on the obverse is a profile of Queen Elizabeth II.
- Featured on the reverse is the Maple Leaf.
- Contains a face value of $50 (CAD) backed by the Government of Canada.
The Royal Canadian Mint has annually issued the Gold Canadian Maple Leaf coin since 1979. They were initially minted with a gold purity of 99.9%, and remained that way for 4 years. In November 1982, the RCM increased the coin’s gold purity to 99.99%. This change made the Gold Canadian Maple Leaf the first bullion coin to be minted at such a high gold purity. The consistency of their design, and the quality of their gold, have made the Gold Canadian Maple Leaf the standard to which all other 24-karat gold bullion coins are held.
The Gold Canadian Maple Leaf coins were initially available in just the 1 oz denomination. In November 1982, when the RCM increased the gold purity of the coins, they also began to make them available in additional weights. The first new weights were 1/4 oz and 1/10 oz. In 1986, the 1/2 oz weight was added and in 1993, the 1/20 oz weight. The RCM issued a 1/15 oz weight in 1994 but only for one year. A 1 gram weight was added in 2014. The obverse of each Gold Canadian Maple Leaf coin has a stated face value in Canadian Dollars.
The 1981 Gold Canadian Maple Leaf coin obverse features a right-facing profile of Queen Elizabeth II. This depiction of Her Majesty is at 39 years of age. Later depictions of Her Majesty appearing on the Gold Maple Leaf have been updated to 64 years of age and 79 years of age. Queen Elizabeth II has been featured on the obverse of all Canadian coinage since 1952.
The 1981 Gold Canadian Maple Leaf coin reverse features the Maple Leaf. Master engraver Walter Ott created this finely detailed design, which clearly shows the texture and veins of the Maple Leaf. Ott created this design for the RCM in 1979 and it has remained virtually unchanged throughout time.
As the official sovereign mint of Canada, the Royal Canadian Mint was founded in Ottawa in 1908. With the immense popularity of the Gold Maple Leaf coins, the RCM needed to boost its production capacity, therefore, a second facility was opened in Winnipeg in the 1980s.
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