Dec 2024

The Canadian Maple Leaf Coin: All You Need to Know

By StoneX Bullion

The Canadian Maple Leaf is one of the most popular bullion coins in the world, celebrated for its exceptional purity and distinctive design featuring Canada’s national symbol, the iconic maple leaf. First issued in 1979 by the Royal Canadian Mint, the Maple Leaf coin series includes gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bullion coins.

From the Maple Leaf series, the Gold Maple Leaf coin stands out as being one of the purest gold coins in the world. These coins are minted from .9999 fine 24-karat gold with select special editions made from .99999 fine gold.

Maple Leaf coins are available in a range of sizes and denominations, from 1/20 oz to a full kilogram, and are considered legal tender in Canada. Like other bullion coins, however, their intrinsic value far surpasses their face value and is based on the market price of the underlying precious metal content.

History of the Maple Leaf coin

The Canadian Maple Leaf was first issued in 1979 by the Royal Canadian Mint. The only other bullion coins in circulation at the time were the Austrian 100 Corona and the South African Krugerrand, which was facing limited availability due to a boycott against apartheid-era South Africa.

The Royal Canadian Mint saw a growing demand for a high-quality bullion coin and responded by issuing a pure 24-karat gold bullion coin minted exclusively from Canadian gold. The Gold Maple Leaf coins featured a distinctive design featuring the Canadian maple leaf on the reverse with a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse.

The first Gold Maple Leaf coins had a purity of 99.95%. In 1982, their purity was enhanced to 99.99%. This exceptional purity set the Gold Maple Leaf coins apart from other gold bullions and quickly established them as a favorite amongst precious metals investors and coin collectors.

In 1988, the Royal Canadian Mint released the Silver Maple Leaf coin. Like their gold counterparts, the Silver Maple Leaf coins were amongst the purest silver bullion coins in the world minted from .9999 fine silver. The same year, a Platinum Maple Leaf coin was issued, minted from .9995 platinum. In 2005, the Royal Canadian Mint introduced a Palladium Maple Leaf, made from .995 pure palladium.

See: Bullion vs Numismatic Coins

Maple Leaf coins were issued with new security features in both 2013 and 2015. In 2013, new Maple Leafs included a laser microengraved textured maple leaf on a small area of the reverse side of the coin. The middle of the microengraving displays the coin’s year of issue, visible only under magnification. In 2015, Maple Leafs included radial lines on the background as an added security feature.

The Royal Canadian Mint has also issued various special edition Maple Leaf coins over the years, including commemorative coins celebrating Canada’s 150th Anniversary in 2017 and the Winter Olympics in 2010. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Maple Leaf coins, the Royal Canadian Mint issued a six-coin bimetallic Maple Leaf set in a bullion finish (brilliant relief against a parallel-lined background). These coins were the first to include a 1/25 Maple Leaf coin denomination and were issued with a limited mintage of 839 sets.

In 2007, the Royal Canadian Mint issued a special Gold Maple Leaf known as the Big Maple Leaf. Only five of these coins were issued, each with a face value of $1 million and intrinsic value of more than $3.5 million. The Big Maple Leafs are made from 99.999% pure gold and weigh 100 kg. In 2017, one of the Big Maple Leafs was stolen from the Berlin Bode Museum. It has yet to be found and is largely assumed to have been melted down.

Maple Leaf coins design

The obverse of the Canadian Maple Leaf coins features Walter Ott’s side profile of Queen Elizabeth II along with the year of issue.

The reverse displays another Walter Ott design, this time of the maple leaf. While early editions of the coin featured a simple maple leaf, later issues include intricate security features, such as anti-counterfeit radial lines and a microengraved maple leaf privy mark visible only under magnification.

How big is a Canadian Maple Leaf coin?

Maple Leaf coins are available in a range of sizes and denominations depending on the metal they’re made from. Below, we look at the different sizes of gold, silver, platinum, and palladium Maple Leaf coins.

How big are Gold Maple Leaf coins?

Gold Maple Leafs are available in different weights, from 1/20 oz up to the traditional 1 oz Gold Maple Leaf coin. Regardless of their size and weight, all Gold Maple Leafs are minted from high-purity .9999 fine gold.

WEIGHT (TROY OZ)	DIAMETER	THICKNESS	WEIGHT (GRAM)	FACE VALUE (CAD)
1 oz	30 mm	2.8 mm	31. 11 g	$50
½ oz	25 mm	2.23 mm	15.55 g	$25
¼ oz	20 mm	1.78 mm	7.78 g	$10
1/10 oz	16 mm	1.13 mm	3.11 g	$5
1/20 oz	14.1 mm	0.92 mm	1.55 g	$1

How big are Silver Maple Leaf coins?

Silver Maple Leaf coins are mainly available in the traditional 1 oz size, although larger and smaller versions are occasionally released as special editions.

The 1 oz Silver Maple Leaf coin has a diameter of 38 mm and a thickness of 3.15 mm. Each 1 oz Silver Maple Leaf coin weighs 31.10 grams and has a face value of $5 CAD. All Silver Maple Leafs are made from .9999 fine silver, making them amongst the purest silver coins in the world.

WEIGHT (TROY OZ)	DIAMETER	THICKNESS	WEIGHT (GRAM)	FACE VALUE (CAD)
1 oz	38 mm	3.15 mm	31. 39 g	$5
10 oz	76.25 mm	4.50 mm	311.03 g	$50

Keep Reading: Should You Invest in Silver Bars or Coins?

How big are Platinum Maple Leaf coins?

Platinum Maple Leaf coins are available in a variety of sizes and denominations, from 1/10 oz up to the standard 1 oz coin. All Platinum Maple Leafs are made from .9995 fine platinum.

WEIGHT (TROY OZ)	DIAMETER	THICKNESS	WEIGHT (GRAM)	FACE VALUE (CAD)
1 oz	30 mm	2.87 mm	31. 11 g	$50
½ oz	25 mm	2.23 mm	15.55 g	$20
¼ oz	20 mm	1.78 mm	7.78 g	$10
1/10 oz	16 mm	1.13 mm	3.11 g	$5

How big are Palladium Maple Leaf coins?

Palladium Maple Leaf coins are available in a standard 1 oz weight. 1 oz Palladium Maple Leafs have a diameter of 33.60 mm and a thickness of 2.87 mm. Each coin weighs 31.10 grams and has a face value of $50 CAD. The 1 oz Palladium Maple Leafs are made from .995 pure palladium.

See: How to Invest in Palladium

Why buy the Canadian Maple Leaf?

Maple Leaf coins make an excellent bullion investment option – the coins have global recognition for their exceptional purity, advanced security features, and iconic design. Below are some reasons why investors love the Canadian Maple Leaf:

Exceptional purity

Canadian Maple Leaf coins are renowned for their high purity. Gold Maple Leafs, especially, are one of the purest gold bullion coins available on the market. These coins are made from .9999 fine gold and contain virtually no impurities. Because of their exceptional purity, Gold Maple Leaf coins have a bright and lustrous appearance that makes them much more beautiful than coins of lesser purity.

It’s not just Gold Maple Leafs that exhibit high purity – silver, platinum, and palladium versions of the Maple Leaf all contain similar purity levels.

Global recognition

Canadian Maple Leaf coins are some of the most recognized bullion coins in the world. These coins are widely trusted and highly liquid, which means you can buy and sell them with ease. For that reason, they’re an ideal purchase for both long-term and short-term investors.

Legal tender in Canada

Canadian Maple Leaf coins are legal tender in Canada. This means the coins are backed by the Canadian Government, which offers an additional layer of security for investors. Although each coin has a face value in Canadian dollars, its true value lies in the precious metals content, which is much higher.

Advanced security features

Canadian Maple Leaf coins issued after 2013 and 2015 contain advanced security features that help prevent counterfeiting, including radial lines and a microengraved laser privy mark that is only visible under magnification. These security features ensure your purchase is authentic, which is especially important if you are buying Canadian Maple Leaf coins online where the risk of fraud can be higher.

Range of sizes

Canadian Gold Maple Leaf and Platinum Maple Leaf coins are available in a variety of sizes and denominations, offering flexibility for investors of all budgets. For example, an investor can purchase a 1/20 oz Gold Maple Leaf or the standard 1 oz Gold Maple Leaf depending on their investment goals.

Tax benefits

Because Canadian Maple Leaf coins are considered legal tender, their purchase is tax-exempt in certain jurisdictions. This offers investors living in certain regions an added benefit of purchasing Maple Leaf coins. To see if this tax-exemption applies to you, check your local tax laws or speak to a tax professional.

Available in different metals

Although Gold Maple Leafs are by far the most popular in this coin series, you can also diversify your precious metals portfolio with Maple Leaf coins in silver, platinum, or palladium. Each of these coins offers exceptional purity and quality, but comes with their own unique investment considerations and benefits.

Special issues

Canadian Maple Leafs include various special issues and editions. Below are just some of the most prominent Maple Leaf coin special issues.

YEAR	THEME	MINTAGE	NOTES
1999	20th Anniversary of Gold Maple Leaf	13,025	These coins were the first colourful Maple Leafs, available in a series of 5 fractional sizes.
1999	Hologram Maple Leaf	500	Set of $1, $5, $10, $20, $50 Gold Maple Leaf coins featuring a hologram.
2001	Hologram Maple Leaf	600	A reissue of the 1999 Hologram set.
2005	Fifty Dollar Coin	600 at first, left 396	1 troy oz coin made from .99999 pure gold.
2007	Two Hundred Dollar Coin	500	1 troy oz coin made from .99999 pure gold. This test bullion coin is displayed in a maroon flock-lined clamshell case.
2007	One Million Dollar Coin	5	Dubbed the Big Maple Leaf, this coin weighs 100 kg. One was famously stolen from Berlin's Bode Museum.
2008	Two Hundred Dollar Coin	1,700 (First Strike) 27,576	This coin is made from .99999 pure gold packaged in an assay card.
2009	Two Hundred Dollar Coin	13,765	A .99999 pure gold bullion coin packaged in an assay card.
2009	Hologram Maple Leaf 30th Anniversary Edition	750	Set of four Hologram Gold Maple Leaf coins, from 1/20 oz to 1 oz sizes, packaged in a wooden box.
2010	Vancouver Olympics	200	Dubbed the olympic series, these 3 x 1 oz coins feature a red painted maple leaf on the reverse and come displayed in a wooden box.
2011	Two Hundred Dollar Coin	8,408	Dubbed the Canadian Mountie Maple Leaf, these coins are minted from .99999 pure gold and packaged in an assay card.
2012	Two Hundred Dollar Coin	N/A	These 1 troy oz coins are made from .99999 pure gold and feature the maple leaf moved right nearly 90 degrees, as on the Big Maple Leaf coins.
2012	Five Hundred Dollar Coin	200	These coins are made from .9999 pure gold and weigh 5 troy oz.
2014	Two Hundred Dollar Coin	N/A	These coins, known as the Gold Howling Wolf, are the first of a series of three special edition coins made from .99999 fine gold.
2014	Two Hundred Dollar Coin	2000	The same Gold Howling Wolf coins were released in a proof version, displayed in a maroon flock-lined clamshell case
2015	Two Hundred Dollar Coin	N/A	These 1 troy oz coins are the second in the special edition series, made from .99999 fine gold and dubbed the Gold Growling Cougar.
2015	Two Hundred Dollar Coin	250	The proof versions of the Gold Growing Cougar are presented in a maroon flock-lined clamshell case
2016	Two Hundred Dollar Coin	N/A	These 1 troy oz coins are the third and final in the series, made from .99999 fine gold and dubbed the Gold Roaring Grizzly.
2016	Two Hundred Dollar Coin	250	The proof versions of the Gold Roaring Grizzly come displayed in a maroon flock-lined clamshell case.

Buy Canadian Maple Leaf coins

If you’re ready to invest in these high-purity gold coins, you’re in the right place. StoneX Bullion stocks a range of Canadian Maple Leaf bullion coins, including Gold Maple Leafs, Silver Maple Leafs, and Platinum Maple Leafs. Browse our collection and start growing your portfolio today.