The Royal Canadian Mint

History of the Royal Canadian Mint

The Royal Canadian Mint was first established in Ottawa in 1908 as a branch of the British Royal Mint. At that time, the mint solely produced gold Sovereign coins with a 'C' mint mark that identified their Canadian mintage.

After Canada's independence from the British Empire in 1931, the mint's assets were transferred to the Canadian Government and the Mint was established as the Royal Canadian Mint. The Royal Canadian Mint Act of 1969 fully incorporated the mint as a Crown corporation and ten years later, the first 1 oz gold Maple Leaf coin was released. In 1988, the 1 oz Silver Maple Leaf coin and 1 oz Platinum Maple Leaf coins were launched.

The Royal Canadian Mint also operates two refineries: a gold refinery was opened in 1911 and a silver refinery in 2005.

Canadian Maple Leaf bullion coin series

The Royal Canadian Mint’s most popular bullion products are undoubtedly the gold Maple Leaf coins as well as the silver, platinum, and palladium versions of the coin.

Canadian Maple Leaf gold coins

First introduced in 1979, the Canadian Maple Leaf gold coin was the second investment bullion coin to be released after the 1967 launch of the iconic South African Gold Krugerrand. This offered private investors a new way to invest in gold besides collector coins.

The first Canadian Maple Leaf gold coins were struck from .999 purity 24-carat gold. In 1982, the gold Maple Leaf was the first coin in the world to be struck from .9999 pure gold and all gold coins in the Maple Leaf series have since stuck to the high-purity .9999 gold content. Today, Canadian gold Maple Leaf coins are available in a series of denominations to suit investors of all budgets, from the smallest 1/20 oz Gold Maple Leaf Coin to larger ¼ oz Gold Maple Leaf and ½ oz Maple Leaf Gold Coin.

In 2007, an epic series of five Gold Maple Leaf coins were released with a nominal face value of $1 million and a metal value of $3.5 million. This coin was dubbed the 'Big Maple Leaf' and was made from 99.999% pure gold, weighing 100kg. Until the release of the 1 ton Australian Gold Nugget in 2011, the Big Maple Leaf held the Guinness World Record for being the largest gold coin ever minted.

Canadian Maple Leaf silver coins

In 1988, silver versions of the Maple Leaf coin were introduced. The Silver Canadian Maple Leaf was the third silver bullion coin to be released, following the Chinese Silver Panda and Silver American Eagle coins. The silver Maple Leaf coins continued the Royal Canadian Mint’s tradition for favoring high-purity bullion coins and were the first coins in the world to be struck from .9999 pure silver. Initially, the silver Maple Leafs were available in only 1 oz denominations, however you can now buy Canadian Silver Maple Leafs in several weights including 1.5 oz Silver Maple Leaf and 10 oz Silver Maple Leaf.

Canadian Maple Leaf platinum and palladium coins

At the same time of the silver coins’ release, a Platinum Maple Leaf Coin was introduced. This was made from 999.5 pure platinum and initially available as a 1 oz Platinum Maple Leaf coin as well as smaller denominations of ½ oz, ¼ oz, and 1/10 oz. In 2002, the platinum Maple Coin series was discontinued until 2009. Since then, they have only been released in 1 oz sizes.

The Royal Canadian Mint also briefly released a palladium Maple Leaf coin in 2005. After two years, the palladium coins were suspended until 2009. They were then relaunched and produced regularly until they were fully discontinued in 2015. The palladium Maple Leaf coins were made from .9995 pure palladium and only available in 1 oz denominations.

Canadian Maple Leaf coin design

All Maple Leaf coins in the series (gold, silver, platinum, and palladium) feature the same design. On the obverse is an image of the Canadian Maple Leaf, symbolic of the country. On the reverse is a profile of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

In 2013, a security feature featuring a laser micro-engraved textured maple leaf was added to a small section of the coin's reverse. The center of this marking displays the coin's year of issue, visible only under magnification. In 2015, another security feature was added featuring radial lines on the background of both sides of the coin.

Canadian MapleGrams

In 2014, the Royal Canadian Mint released a product series called MapleGrams. These are made from multiple 1g gold Maple Leaf coins presented together in stylish, secure packaging contained within a slick protective sleeve. The MapleGrams are available in a series of 8 or 25 coins, each weighing 1 gram and presented in a divisible blister pack. Each coin blister has its own distinct serial number and an assay certificate on the sleeve certifies the weight and purity of the coins in each MapleGram.

Other bullion products by the Royal Canadian Mint

Although primarily known for the highly-popular Maple Leaf coin series, the Royal Canadian Mint also produces a range of other numismatic coinage as well as bullion bars. Below are some of the mint’s other popular bullion products:

• Canadian Wildlife Series: The Canadian Wildlife silver coin series featured six designs representing native Canadian animals. Struck from .9999 pure silver, each coin had limited mintage with two releases per year. This series, released from 2011 to 2013, includes the 1 oz Canadian Bison Wildlife Coin and the 1 oz Canadian Grizzly Bear Silver Coin.
• Gold Bullion Bars: The Royal Canadian Mint is one of the few official mints to offer investors both .9999 pure gold and silver bars as well as coins in silver, gold, platinum, and palladium. The Royal Canadian Mint’s silver bullion bar features the mint's logo on the obverse, along with the item's weight, purity, and unique serial number, with a maple leaf pattern on the reverse.

Buy bullion products from the Royal Canadian Mint

Investing in Canadian coins offers investors high liquidity, recognizable and tangible assets, and an enduring investment that stands the test of time. At StoneX Bullion, we’re proud to offer a wide range of bullion coins and bars from the Royal Canadian Mint, including gold Maple Leaf coins and silver Maple Leaf coins, two bullion products that are essential in every precious metals investor’s portfolio.

As an affiliate member of the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA), StoneX Bullion stands out in the market for our high-quality products and commitment to good trading practices. We only stock bullion from the most trusted mints in the world and buy directly from producers wherever possible, offering competitive prices to all of our clients.

Browse through our collection of investment-grade bullion coins and bars from the Royal Canadian Mint and other prestigious refineries and start investing today.