Local Storage seems to be disabled in your browser.
For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Local Storage in your browser.
Gold Maple Leafs
The Gold Maple is Canada’s premier gold bullion series. Struck by the Royal Canadian Mint, the series was first issued in 1979 when at the time, only the Gold Krugerrand was being issued, which was severely restricted due to anti-apartheid embargos placed on the issuing nation, South Africa. Before the Gold Panda, Gold Libertad, and Gold Eagle, there was the mighty Gold Maple Leaf. Issued on an annual basis, the series has featured a sugar maple leaf on its reverse, and an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse. This iconic design has not changed much over the decades, save for the addition of extra security measures and changing effigies of the Queen on the obverse. The emblematic sugar maple leaf, a symbol for the Canadian nation, has remained largely unchanged in its composition. The Gold Maple Leaf has brought some of the wonder of the great white north to collections around the world and continues to thrill with its special releases and constant innovation. Keep reading to learn about Canada’s beloved Gold Maple Leaf and to add this quintessential gold bullion series to your collection
Sugar Maple Leaf
The sugar maple is a tree that can grow to large sizes and survive for over 200 years. Its leaves are instantly recognizable to anyone familiar with fall or the Canadian nation. Its leaves turn anywhere from yellow to red to orange in the autumn. This tree is actually the national symbol of Canada, which is why its leaves are often used to symbolize the country and the values that is stands for. A sugar maple leaf even appears on the Canadian flag, so it seems apt that Canada’s official gold bullion series would also feature the iconic image.
A Brief History of the Gold Maple Leaf
In 1979, the Royal Canadian Mint debuted the Gold Maple Leaf to the numismatic stage. As mentioned above, it joined the Gold Krugerrand as the two primary gold bullion coins being released by sovereign Mints at the time. From 1979 to 1982, the coins were struck from .999 fine gold. After 1982, the series transitioned over to the impressive .9999 fine gold. Some special releases have even been struck in .99999 fine gold which is truly remarkable. Four different effigies of Queen Elizabeth II have been used on the obverse of the coin over the course of its issuance, showing the Queen as she gracefully matures. In 1988, the Gold Maple was joined by its counterpart, Silver Maple Leaf, which proved to be another successful annual Royal Canadian Mint release. While the basic design of the series has largely remained the same, except for the effigy of the Queen, the Royal Canadian Mint has added special security features to the series over the course of its issuance, including radial lines that make the coins hard to counterfeit as well as a micro-engraved security mark that allows the Mint to authenticate the coins.
Special Gold Maple Issues
A variety of special releases have been issued over the course of the Gold Maple Leaf Series sometimes to commemorate a special occasion, other times to add some variety to the series. Some of these varieties include Gold Maples with privvys, Gold Maples with a hologram finish, fractional Gold Maple Leafs, and Gold Maple Leaf sets. Perhaps most impressive, one of the largest gold coins even minted belongs to the Gold Maple series, weighing in at a hefty 100 kilograms of .99999 pure gold and featuring a face value of 100 million CAD.
Gold Incuse Maple Leaf
In 2019, the Royal Canadian Mint proved that it is far from done by releasing the 2019 Canadian $50 1 oz Gold Maple Leaf incuse. The newest Brilliant Uncirculated gold maple leaf made waves by being the first time ever that the Royal Canadian Mint struck with an incuse design on a Gold Maple Leaf. In 2018, the Mint released their first ever Silver incuse Maple Leaf to commemorate the 30th anniversary of that silver series. That means that the classic maple leaf design as well as the portrait of Her Majesty Elizabeth II are struck INTO the coin fields rather than being raised above them. The incuse Gold Maple Leaf was released to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Gold Maple series.
