Canadian Gold Maple Leaf

Gold Maple Leaf
Canada
Value 50.00 CAD (face value)
Mass 31.10 g
Edge Serrated
Years of minting 1979 – present
Obverse
Design Elizabeth II
Reverse
Design Maple Leaf
Design date 1979 (2015)

The Canadian Gold Maple Leaf is a gold bullion coin that is issued annually by the Government of the Dominion of Canada. It is produced by the Royal Canadian Mint.

The Gold Maple Leaf is legal tender. The face value is 50 Canadian dollars. The market value of the metal varies, depending on the spot price of gold. Having a .9999 millesimal fineness (24 carats), in some cases .99999, the coin is among the purest official bullion coins worldwide. The standard version has a weight of minimum 1 troy ounce (31.10 grammes). Other sizes and denominations include 1 gram, 1⁄25 oz. ($0.50), 1⁄20 oz. ($1), 1⁄10 oz. ($5), 1⁄4 oz. ($10), and 1⁄2 oz. ($20).

The Gold Maple Leaf's obverse and reverse display, respectively, the profile of Queen Elizabeth II of Canada and the Canadian Maple Leaf. In 2013 and 2015 new security features were introduced. In 2013 a micro-engraved textured maple leaf (with laser technology), on a small area of the reverse (Maple Leaf) side of the coin. In the centre of this mark is the numeral denoting the coin’s year of issue, which is only visible under magnification. In 2015 the radial lines on the coin's background on both sides of the coin.

On 3 May 2007, the Royal Canadian Mint unveiled a Gold Maple Leaf coin with a nominal face value of $1 million and a metal value of over $3.5 million.[1][2] It measures 50 cm in diameter by 3 cm thick and has a mass of 100 kg, with a purity of 99.999%. The artist is Stanley Witten.

Information

The coin was introduced in 1979.[3][4] At the time the only bullion coin was the Krugerrand, which was not widely available because of the economic boycott of apartheid-era South Africa. Coins minted between 1979 and 1982 have a gold content of .999.

Gold Maple Leaf

Years Denominations Purity Obverse
1979–1982 1 oz. .999 39-year-old Queen
November 1982 – 1985 1 oz., 1⁄4 oz., 1⁄10 oz. .9999
1986–1989 1 oz., 1⁄2 oz., 1⁄4 oz., 1⁄10 oz. .9999
1990–1992 1 oz., 1⁄2 oz., 1⁄4 oz., 1⁄10 oz. .9999 64-year-old Queen
1993 1 oz., 1⁄2 oz., 1⁄4 oz., 1⁄10 oz., 1⁄20 oz. .9999
1994 1 oz., 1⁄2 oz., 1⁄4 oz., 1⁄10 oz., 1⁄15 oz., 1⁄20 oz. .9999
1995–2004 1 oz., 1⁄2 oz., 1⁄4 oz., 1⁄10 oz., 1⁄20 oz. .9999
2005–2013 1 oz., 1⁄2 oz., 1⁄4 oz., 1⁄10 oz., 1⁄20 oz. .9999 79-year-old Queen
2014–present 1 oz., 1⁄2 oz., 1⁄4 oz., 1⁄10 oz., 1⁄20 oz., 1 gram. .9999

For .99999 ("Five Nines") Pure Gold Maple Leafs, see Special issues below.

The .9999 1982 Gold Maple Leafs began minting in November. Thus, most of the 1982 Gold Maple Leafs are .999 fine.

Production problems

Some dealers have complained about the production quality of the Gold Maples.[5][6][7] The softness of 24 karat gold combined with the Gold Maples' milled edge, clear field around the Queen and the tube storage supplied, means that the coins easily show handling marks. This is a standard problem with pure gold.

Bimetallic Maple Leaf

As a way of commemorating 25 years as an industry leader in bullion coins, the Royal Canadian Mint created a unique six-coin set. mint.ca It was a new bimetallic maple leaf, set in bullion finish (a brilliant relief against a parallel lined background). The six-coin set was the first to include the 1⁄25 oz Maple Leaf denomination. Each coin included a double-date of 1979–2004, and the 1 oz coin featured a commemorative privy mark. All coins were packaged in a black leather presentation case with a black velour insert, along with a certificate of authenticity.[8] Mintage: 839 sets.

Coin Specifications
Year Theme Face Value Size Composition Au Weight Ag Weight

(Total - Au)

 Total Weight

of the coin

 Total

Diameter

Ring Core
2004 25th Anniversary, Gold Maple Leaf
$0.50 1⁄25 oz .9999 silver .9999 gold 1.270 0.769 2.039 16.00
$1.00 1⁄20 oz 1.581 0.791 2.372 18.03
$5.00 1⁄10 oz 3.136 1.330 4.466 20.00
$10.00 1⁄4 oz 7.802 3.098 10.900 25.00
$20.00 1⁄2 oz 15.589 4.486 20.075 30.00
$50.00 1 oz 31.650 7.960 39.610 36.07

Other Details

Year Theme Artist Mintage Issue Price Finish
2004 25th Anniversary, Gold Maple Leaf RCM Engravers 839 $2,495.95 Bullion

Special issues

99.999% Gold Maple Leaf

The gold Maple Leaf coin was .999 pure until 1982, when its purity was raised to .9999. Some coins are issued at a purity of .99999; this standard does not replace the Mint's .9999 Gold Maple Leaf coins, but is instead reserved for special editions.

Year Theme Artist Mintage Issue Price Special Notes Image
2005 Fifty Dollar Coin N/A at first 600

left 396

 N/A 1 troy ounce coin; .99999 oz pure gold - experimental issue
2007 Two Hundred Dollar Coin Stanley Witten 500 $1,899.95 test bullion coin, 1 troy ounce coin; .99999 oz pure gold, privy t/e - test coin, comes encapsulated and presented in a maroon flock-lined clamshell case, available to collectors who enter draw-to-buy
2007 Two Hundred Dollar Coin Stanley Witten 30,848 N/A 1 troy ounce coin; .99999 oz pure gold, packaged in assay card
2007 One Million Dollar Coin Stanley Witten 5 (As of May 3, 2007) N/A The coin has a mass of 100 kg (which is 3215 troy ounces)
2008 Two Hundred Dollar Coin 1,700 $1,394.64 Special Limited Edition First Strike
2008 Two Hundred Dollar Coin 27,476 N/A 1 troy ounce coin; .99999 oz pure gold, packaged in assay card
2009 Two Hundred Dollar Coin Stanley Witten 13,765 N/A 1 troy ounce coin; .99999 oz pure gold, packaged in assay card
2011 Two Hundred Dollar Coin Ago Aarand 8,408 N/A Canadian Mountie Maple Leaf; 1 troy ounce coin; .99999 fine gold 1 oz or pur, packaged in assay card
2012 Two Hundred Dollar Coin Stanley Witten N/A N/A 1 troy ounce coin; .99999 fine gold 1 oz or pur, the picture of the maple leaf on the reverse is the same as on the coin from 2007, but moved right nearly 90 degrees - as on the 100 kg coin, packaged in assay card
2014 Two Hundred Dollar Coin Pierre Leduc N/A N/A 1 troy ounce coin; .99999 fine gold 1 oz or pur, Gold Howling Wolf, packaged in assay card
2014 Two Hundred Dollar Coin Pierre Leduc 2000 CAD2799,95 1 troy ounce coin; .99999 fine gold 1 oz or pur, Gold Howling Wolf, proof version comes encapsulated and presented in a maroon flock-lined clamshell case
2015 Two Hundred Dollar Coin Pierre Leduc N/A N/A 1 troy ounce coin; .99999 fine gold 1 oz or pur, Gold Growling Cougar, packaged in assay card
2015 Two Hundred Dollar Coin Pierre Leduc 250 CAD2799,95 1 troy ounce coin; .99999 fine gold 1 oz or pur, Gold Growling Cougar, proof version comes encapsulated and presented in a maroon flock-lined clamshell case
2016 Two Hundred Dollar Coin Pierre Leduc N/A N/A 1 troy ounce coin; .99999 fine gold 1 oz or pur, Gold Roaring Grizzly, third and last of series, packaged in assay card
2016 Two Hundred Dollar Coin Pierre Leduc 250 CAD2799,95 1 troy ounce coin; .99999 fine gold 1 oz or pur, Gold Roaring Grizzly, proof version comes encapsulated and presented in a maroon flock-lined clamshell case

Coloured Gold Maple Leaf

Year Theme Artist Mintage Issue Price Special Notes
1999 20th Anniversary of the GML - fractional 5 coins Walter Ott, RCM Engravers 13,025 N/A These are the first coloured coins that the Royal Canadian Mint has ever produced [9]
2010 Gold Maple Leaf Vancouver Olympics 3 x 31.15 g (1 oz) Susanna Blunt 200 N/A These are 3 coins of olympic series, but with red painted maple leafs on reverse - all in the wooden box

Hologram Gold Maple Leaf

Year Theme Artist Mintage Issue Price Special Notes
1999 $1, $5, $10, $20, $50 GML Hologram Set Walter Ott, RCM Engravers 500 $1,995.00 First Coins for RCM to feature a hologram
2001 $1, $5, $10, $20, $50 GML Hologram Set Walter Ott, RCM Engravers 600 $1,995.00 it looks as if the only difference was the issue date 2001 instead of former 1999
2001 $10 GML Hologram Walter Ott, RCM Engravers 14,614 $195.00 1⁄4-oz
2009 $1, $5, $10, $50 Hologram Set, 30th Anniversary of Gold Maple Leaf N/A 750 N/A 1⁄20 oz, 1⁄10 oz, 1⁄4 oz, 1 oz - all packaged in a wodden box

Olympic Maple Leaf

The Royal Canadian Mint and the International Olympic Committee have reached an agreement on Olympic Gold and Silver Maple Leaf coins. The announcement was made on August 3, 2007, and the agreement allows the RCM to strike bullion coins with the emblems of the 2010 winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.[10] The issue will consist of two coins – one Gold Maple Leaf coin and a Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coin; both coins feature the date of 2008. The new agreement means that the RCM is now selling Olympic coins through all of its major business lines – bullion, circulation and numismatics.[10]

Individual releases

Year Theme Artist Mintage Issue price Comment
1989 10th Anniversary Coin Walter Ott 6,817 Bullion Value The only proof version, packaged in a wooden box separately or together with 1/2, 1/4 and 1/10 oz coins
1997 125th Anniversary of the RCMP Ago Aarand 12,913 US$310.00 Guaranteed value of US$310 until January 1, 2000
1999 20th Anniversary Coin N/A N/A Bullion Value privy mark "20 years ans" on the reverse
2004 25th Anniversary of Gold Maple Leaf Walter Ott 10,000 Bullion Value Introduced at ANA World’s Fair of Money in Pittsburgh
2014 Bullion Replica N/A 2000 CAD2699,95 Specimen version of Maple Leaf comes encapsulated and presented in a maroon flock-lined clamshell case and accompanied by a serialized certificate
2015 1/10 oz Gold Maple Theory of Relativity Privy N/A N/A N/A Frosted background version of Maple Leaf 1/10 oz with privy mark E=mc2 on the left
2015 Allied Gold/L'or des alliés Joel Kimmel 1,500 $649.95 ¼ oz. Flight of the Norwegian National Treasury (part of Operation Fish, that brought British, French, and Norwegian gold to Canada).[11] The maple leaf of Canada is impaled with a Norwegian maple leaf.

Privy-marked GML

Year Privy Mark Denomination Size Mintage Special Notes
1997 Family Five Dollars 1⁄10 oz 100,730 Made for Dillon Gage
1998 Eagles Five Dollars 1⁄10-oz 51,440 Made for Dillon Gage
2000 Expo Hanover Ten Dollars 1⁄4-oz 1,000 N/A
2001 Basle Coin Fair Ten Dollars 1⁄4-oz 750 N/A
2001 Viking 50, 20, 10, 5, 1 1 oz, 1⁄2-oz, 1⁄4-oz, 1⁄10-oz, 1⁄20-oz 850 Issued as a five coin set
2005 Liberation Ten Dollars 1⁄4 oz 1,000 Made for Royal Dutch Mint

Maple Leaf Privy M7

Year Denomination Size Mintage Special Notes
2005 Ten Dollars 1⁄4-oz 600 reverse background of the coin is a "bricks" motive instead of standard parallel lines bullion finishing as on the obverse; M7 privy mark is on the standard right position
2006 Ten Dollars 1⁄4-oz 1093 reverse upper half of the background of the coin has standard parallel lines bullion finishing as on the obverse, and the lower half has frosted finishing; M7 privy mark is on the standard right position
2007 Ten Dollars 1⁄4-oz N/A N/A

Other fractional GML

Year Description Denomination Size Mintage Issue Price Special Notes
2011 Maple Leaf variations - standard leaf 50, 10, 5, 1 1 oz, 1⁄4 oz, 1⁄10 oz, 1⁄20 oz 750 CAD3739,95 Issued as a four coin set in a wodden box plus a gold plated silver medallion - A centennial of world-class refining, all coins double dated 1911-2011, additionally on 1 oz coin privy mark "100 years/ans"
2012 Maple Leaf variations - three leaves 50, 20, 10, 5, 1 1 oz, 1⁄2 oz, 1⁄4 oz, 1⁄10 oz, 1⁄20 oz 750 CAD3999,95 Issued as a five coin set in a wodden box - 5th Anniversary of the Million Dollar Coin
2013 Maple Leaf variations - two leaves 50, 10, 5, 1 1 oz, 1⁄4 oz, 1⁄10 oz, 1⁄20 oz 600 CAD3899,95 Issued as a four coin set in a wodden box - 25th Anniversary Fractional Set
2014 Maple Leaf variations - three leaves 50, 10, 5, 1 1 oz, 1⁄4 oz, 1⁄10 oz, 1⁄20 oz 600 CAD3999,95 Issued as a four coin set in a wodden box
2015 Maple Leaf variations - one leaf 50, 10, 5, 1 1 oz, 1⁄4 oz, 1⁄10 oz, 1⁄20 oz 600 CAD3999,95 Issued as a four coin set in a wodden box, every 1 oz coin is numbered, different maple leaf on every coin
2016 Maple Leaf variations - one leaf with crown and letters 50, 10, 5, 1 1 oz, 1⁄4 oz, 1⁄10 oz, 1⁄20 oz 600 CAD3999,95 Issued as a four coin set in a wodden box, every 1 oz coin is numbered, obverse with crowned queen

Definition of finishes

Bullion
Brilliant relief against a parallel lined background.
Proof
Frosted relief against a mirror background
Specimen
Brilliant relief on a satin background.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Royal Canadian Mint introduces world's first 100-kilogram pure gold coin". May 3, 2007. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
  2. ↑ "The Million Dollar Coin – a true milestone in minting"
  3. ↑ "Gold Maple Leaf Coins". Retrieved 2014-03-10.
  4. ↑ "Maples - Coin of the Day". Nov 22, 2013. Retrieved 2014-03-10.
  5. ↑ The Problem with Canadian Gold Maple Leaf Coins
  6. ↑ "The finish on normal bullion maples is, in our opinion, rather disappointing, with striation marks visible where either the blanks or the dies, possibly both, have been polished prior to striking. These striation marks look like scratches, especially when trying to capture high quality photographic images."
  7. ↑ "we don't like the production quality of them (Gold Maples), preferring nuggets or Britannias"
  8. ↑ Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian Coins, 60th Edition, p. 442
  9. ↑ Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian Coins, 60th Edition, p.440
  10. 1 2 “Maples will sport Olympic Rings”, Bret Evans, Canadian Coin News, September 4 to September 17, 2007
  11. ↑ Mint: 1/4 oz. Pure Gold Coin - Allied Gold - Mintage: 1,500 (2015)

External links

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