Gold Maple Leaf



The Gold Maple Leaf is a Canadian gold coin introduced in 1979. It is a 24-karat coin with a fineness of .9999, and some of the special issues have gold content of .99999. This means that coins contain only gold and no base metals. The gold content of coins produced from 1979 to 1982 is .999. These coins are valued by investors and collectors as well as by jewelers. Given that coins are made of pure gold, they can be easily alloyed and converted to jewelry, producing the desired hardness and color.

In fact, the Canadian Mint pioneered the mintage of coins without alloys. They were simply discs of 99.9 percent gold, without being strengthened by some alloy. The reason is that the coin was not intended to be handled or circulated. By the early 80s, the Gold Maple Leaf actually outsold the Krugerrand, which was the only 1-ounce gold coin at that time.

The gold coin is available in different denominations – one-twentieth, one-tenth, one-forth, one-half, and one troy oz – and is subject to the Mint Act and the Canadian Currency Act. The Gold Maple Leaf coin has a legal tender status, although the Currency Act categorizes it as a non-circulating bullion coin.

The of the coin is unchanged since it was first introduced. The obverse side features the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, which was designed by Arnold Machin. A single maple leaf is depicted on the reverse, which is the national symbol of Canada. The design of the coin is characterized by a proof-like strike.

The design of coins with different denominations is identical to that of the 1-ounce, excluding the markings on the reverse and obverse sides, which indicate the face value and weight of the coin. Platinum and gold coins with a face value of $2 were issued in 1994, possibly to be used for the production of jewelry pieces. However, these coins were not as popular among investors and 1994 is the only year when they were issued.

Individual releases have been offered to investors over the years. The 10th anniversary coin was issued in 1989 and designed by Walter Ott. With mintage of 6,817, the coin was offered in a wood box. With mintage of 10,000 pieces, 25th Anniversary coin is also designed by Ott and minted in 2004. The 125th Anniversary of the RCMP was released in 1997 and designed by Ago Aarand. The coin had a guaranteed value of 310 US dollars. Finally, the Test Bullion Coin had a mintage of 500 pieces and a issue price of $1,899.95. Minted in 2007, the coin’s design was created by Stan Witten. It was intended for collectors and investors who entered draw-to-buy.

Other versions of the Gold Maple Leaf are the Palladium Maple Leaf, the Silver Maple Leaf, the Platinum Maple Leaf, and the Bimetallic Maple Leaf.

The Maple Leaf coin is popular around the world, especially in the Far East and India, where the most familiar and accepted gold bullion form is pure gold. Some coin dealers, however, have pointed to problems with the production quality of coins. Handling marks appear easily due to the combination of the milled edge of coins and the softness of the gold used.



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