Masters of Coin Design: Stan Witten

Stan Witten Triple Maple Leaf Coin (2025)

Released in 2025,  the Triple Maple Leaf features a never-before-seen maple design created by Stan Witten using his over three decades of expertise. Witten handpicked three leaves from his own Sugar Maple Tree to craft this compelling composition, creating an authentic, personal connection to the design.

“Maples are beautiful year-round, even in winter, and I fell in love with them when I moved to Ottawa – I even planted a few in our backyard, and those trees provided the inspiration for this design.

In the fall of 2023, as the leaves were coming down, I gathered some and placed them on the ground to form the arrangement seen here. After photographing it, I drew a sketch and then sculpted it, taking care to give each leaf a 3D composition by including undulations that form subtle valleys, and concave areas that create visual movement. That’s the key to creating visual interest in a shape that, upon first glance, seems so simple (although it’s not): depending on the art style, a subtle 3D form is more interesting than a series of carved lines. And a strong central image, with a lot of negative space to keep the focus on the main subject — in this case, the maple leaves — makes for a classic design with lasting appeal.

These leaves are presented cleanly and without any attachments; they could be interpreted as being in free flight or laying on the ground, and as being symbolic of the passage of time. Having them lean to the right adds a clockwise circular flow that complements the coin shape, while still allowing a great view of the leaf that is so symbolic of Canada and our wild places, which have inspired me throughout my life and career.”

– Stan Witten, Senior Engraver

500 Dollar Gold Maple Leaves Coin (2019)

The 2019 $500 Gold Maple Leaf, crafted from pure gold, showcases an enhanced maple leaf design with intricate detailing in honor of the series’ 40th anniversary. Sam Witten’s design for this coin continues the Mint’s tradition of producing high-denomination collector pieces celebrating Canada’s history and natural beauty.

Terry Fox Loonie (2005)

Witten designed the Terry Fox commemorative loonie in 2005, honoring the Canadian hero’s legendary Marathon of Hope. This marked the first time a Canadian-circulated commemorative coin featured a Canadian individual, making it a significant milestone in the Royal Canadian Mint’s history.

Big Maple Leaf (2007)

One of Witten’s most notable designs is the 2007 Big Maple Leaf, a 100 kg gold coin with a face value of CAD 1 million. Crafted from extremely pure .99999 fine gold, it set a Guinness World Record for its sheer size and purity. The design features an intricate maple leaf motif, a signature of Canada’s numismatic tradition.

This record-setting release made headlines in 2017 when thieves stole one of the Big Maple Leaf coins worth over $4 million from Berlin's Bode Museum. The heist, involving two cousins and a security guard in an inside job, was executed in just 16 minutes. Unfortunately, the coin is believed to have been melted and sold, so it will never be recovered. Justice ultimately prevailed, with three suspects sentenced to prison and fines imposed to match the coin's value.