The Canadian Maple Leaf Coin

HISTORY

The Canadian Gold Maple Leaf Coin was first minted in 1979 by the Royal Canadian Mint. It then contained .999 pure Gold. At the time, the Gold Krugerrand coin was the only Gold Bullion coin that was freely available. However, due to the boycott of South African imports because of Apartheid, the Gold Krugerrand became less available worldwide so the Canadian Gold Leaf Maple coin became highly collectible, both in Canada and throughout the rest of the world.

In 1982 the Pure Gold content was increased to .9999 (or 24 carat) making it one of the purest Gold coins available. In other words, they are made only of Gold, mined in Canada, with no other alloys added. The coins are guaranteed by the Canadian Government for both weight and purity and they have rapidly become one of the most popular pure Gold coins in the world.

In Canada, the Gold Maple Leaf coins are legal tender. They are minted with face values of $0.50, $1.00, $5.00, $10.00, $20.00 and $50.00. These values are determined by the Canadian Currency Act 1985 and the Royal Canadian Mint Act 1985. According to the Royal Canadian Mint Act 1985, the coins are categorized as 'non-circulating Bullion coins'. However, under the Canadian Currency Act 1985, the coins are still legal tender.

In May 2007 the Royal Canadian Mint produced the only coin in the world to be struck in .99999 pure Gold. These Gold Maple leaf coins were of limited edition and weighed one Troy Ounce. There followed three sets of these special Gold Maple Leaf coins, produced in 2007, 2008 and 2009. These special coins were in addition to the.9999 Gold Maple Leaf coins, which were produced on demand for buyers and investors.

Incidentally, also in May 2007, the Mint produced a Gold Maple Leaf coin with a face value of $1 million, and at the time, the actual Gold content was worth $2 million. It weighed one hundred kilograms, had a diameter of 50cms and a Fine Gold Content of .99999. Mainly produced as a 'one-off' coin in order to promote the minting of a .99999 coin, several buyers were very interested in the coin. The Royal Canadian Mint then decided to strike these coins as and when they were ordered, at a price of between $2.5 million and $3 million. Since May 2007, five of these spectacular coins have been ordered.

All the Gold Maple Leaf bullion coins have the same design. The maple leaf, which is the national emblem of Canada, is seen on the reverse of the coin, while the obverse depicts a profile of Queen Elizabeth the Second. Since it was first minted, the only changes to the obverse of the coin have been to the profile of the Queen as she has aged. From 1988 to 1989, the Queen was portrayed as 39 years old; from 1990 until 2004 she was depicted as 64 years old and from 2005 to date she has been portrayed as a 79 year old. On this side, the words 'ELIZABETH II', the value of the coin and the year it was minted are printed. On the reverse side, the word 'CANADA' features above the maple leaf. On either side of the leaf the purity is indicated (for example, .9999). Underneath the leaf are the words 'FINE GOLD' and also the weight of the coin.

SILVER MAPLE COINS

First produced in 1988 the Silver Maple Leaf coin has the same basic design as the Gold Maple Leaf Bullion coin. The coins are minted in 1 Troy Ounce size.

Variations of the Silver Maple Leaf coins have also been issued featuring various wildlife species. The Arctic Fox was depicted in 2004 and in 2005 the coin featured the Canadian Lynx. In 2010, the Royal Canadian Mint produced another series of .9999 Silver Maple one ounce coins featuring wildlife. The first coin featured a Wolf and the second depicted a Grizzly Bear. Also released for sale to the general public in September 2011, the third design featured a Cougar. Three more wildlife coins were produced in this series - they featured a Moose, a Pronghorn Antelope, and lastly a Wood Bison.

FOR INVESTORS

In Canada, the Maple Leaf Bullion coins have proven to be very popular for investors. The coins are a cost-effective method of adding precious metal to investment portfolios. Indeed, since the coins were first minted, they have become one of the leading Gold Bullion coins for investment. They have also become increasingly popular for investors in the United Kingdom and around the World generally. One of the reasons for it being so popular amongst Canadian investors is that the Government of Canada guarantees the weight, purity and Gold content of the coin. The coins can therefore be purchased with confidence by investors.

FOR COLLECTORS

The Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coin has proven to be very popular amongst collectors all over the World, not just in Canada. Collectors in the United States of America have also shown great interest in the coin. For United Kingdom collectors, an added attraction is that since 2000, the Gold Canadian Maple Leaf coins are free from Value Added Tax.

SIZE OF COINS

The Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coin is generally available in seven sizes; 1oz, ½oz, ¼oz, 1/10oz, 1/15oz and 1/20oz. The larger coins are the most popular. The 1oz coin has a face value of $50, the 1/2oz has a value of $20, the 1/4oz is $10, the 1/10oz is $5, the 1/15oz is $2 and the 1/20oz is $1.

• 1oz - weight 31.1030gms, diameter 30mm, (fine Gold content 31.10gms)
• 1/2oz - weight 15.5515gms, diameter 25mm, (fine Gold content 15.55gms)
• 1/4oz - weight 7.7850gms, diameter 20mm (fine Gold content 7.775gms)
• 1/10oz - weight 3.1200gms, diameter16mm, (fine Gold content 3.11gms)
• 1.15oz - weight 2.0735gms, diameter 15mm, (fine Gold content 2.0733gms)
• 1.20oz - weight 1.5551gms, diameter 14mm (fine Gold content 1.555gms)

The Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coin is available in 1 ounce size with a face value of $5.

• 1oz - weight 31.103gms, diameter 38mm

We offer a range of Gold Maple Leaf, Silver Maple Leaf and Silver Wildlife Series coins for collectors and investors.