Gold Maple Specifications, Information & History

The Gold Maple Leaf is the official bullion gold coin of Canada and is produced by the Royal Canadian Mint in pure (.9999), or 24 carat gold. Silver, Platinum and Palladium versions of the Maple are also minted. Gold Maples were produced from 1979 and it was the first bullion coin to achieve the high standard of fineness of 9999 fine, although between 1979 and 1982 the fine gold content was certified less at .999.

The Gold Maple was originally only produced in 1 ounce versions, but fractions of 1/2 Ounce, 1/4 Ounce, 1/10th Ounce, 1/15th Ounce, 1/20th Ounce were later introduced. The 1/15th Ounce coins were only produced in 1994 due to limited popularity.

As legal tender of Canada, the coins feature a portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II of England on the obverse (by famous artist and sculptor Arnold Machin), with inscriptions indicating her name, the face value of the coin ($1, $5, $10, $20 or $50) and the year of minting. The reverse contains the iconic maple leaf from which the coins take their name, designed by Walter Ott renowned engraver and artist at the Mint. It also includes the inscription CANADA, the size of the coin and 9999 FINE GOLD.

Gold Maple Technical Specifications


Size	Face Value C$	Total Weight (g)	Fineness /1.000	Gold Content (T oz)	Gold Content (g)	Diameter (mm)
Full	C$50	31.104	.9999	1.0000	31.104	30
Half	C$25	15.552	.9999	0.5000	15.552	25
Quarter	C$10	7.776	.9999	0.2500	7.776	20
Tenth	C$5	3.110	.9999	0.1000	3.110	16
Fifteenth	C$2	2.074	.9999	0.0666	2.074	15
Twentieth	C$1	1.555	.9999	0.0500	1.555	14

Fractional Gold Maple coins are identical in design to the one ounce coin with the exception of the inscription on the obverse and reverse of the coins stating the weight and face value.

The Mint also produces special editions such as the one ounce celebration gold coin for the 2010 Vancover Winter Olympic Games and the 1998 99999 fine gold collector coin. At over 34mm diameter this was the largest coin ever produced with such a high level of purity.

In May 2007 the Royal Canadian Mint produced a massive 99.999% pure Gold Maple Leaf coin. With a face value of $1million, measuring over 50cm in diameter, 3 cm thick and weighing 100kg the Mint entered Guinness World Records as it was recognised as the world's largest gold coin.

In the case of the Gold Maple, because the Gold used is not alloyed, and they have brushed finish, Maples often appear more scratched, than other Bullion Coins such as Krugerrands. There have been some complaints about the production quality of the Gold Maples, due to factors such as the softness of 24karat gold or the clear field around the image of HM Queen Elizabeth II, which means they easily show handling marks and scratches. Despite this, Gold Maples remain one of the more popular bullion coins, with over 20 million troy ounces been sold since 1979.