The Gold Canadian Maple coin is one of the oldest popularly traded and collected coins among numismatics and investors. With its first round of production coming in 1979, the Maple Leaf was put into circulation a few years short of a decade prior to the of the American Eagle. As such, the Maple Leaf remains one of the staples among both buyers of pure bullion and rare coins alike.
Though there is also a 1/20th ounce gold coin that is minted, the 1/10th, ¼, ½, and 1 oz. coins are far and away the most prevalent and widely bought and sold. Needless to say, the 1 oz. coins are the most desirable and heavily sought after.
Gold Maple Leafs maintain a .9999 gold purity (with the exception of 1979-1982, when the coins where made of .999 gold). This separates the coins from most others in that it has a higher relative amount of gold content.
The Maple Leaf does have a handful of variations and commemorative releases that have been manufactured throughout the years. These coins include a handful of “Two Hundred Dollar Coins” from 2007-09, in addition to an ultra-rare “One Million Dollar Coin,” of which only 5 total pieces were produced.
Gold Maple Leaf Design
The design of the standard Gold Maple Leaf coin has remained virtually unchanged. The reverse of the coin features its namesake with an illustrated Maple Leaf. In addition to the Maple Leaf, the reverse also features “Canada” across the top, as well as a notation indicating the weight and value of the coin in question.
A Canadian Gold Maple Leaf
The obverse of the coin carries Queen Elizabeth II, though the reverse is what makes this coin most recognizable. The one flaw in the design of the Gold Maple Leaf is found in one of its best assets. Because the coin is pure gold, it is also somewhat soft.
This softness has led to slight distortion of the coins when the are shipped and handled in tube format (20 coins at a time). The surface and edges of the Maple Leaf have been to known to show signs of wear because of their purity, but it is not such a chronic or severe problem that changes to the production of the coin have needed to be made.
Cost of Gold Maple Leafs
Maple Leafs are very affordable, due in large part to the massive scale on which they are minted each year. Most regular uncalculated coins can be obtained for around $10 over spot. The coins that cost more than this will likely be from a year of shortened production, error coins or otherwise scarce issues.
Proof Maple Leafs are extremely popular among collectors. They are affordable, too, with costs that seldom exceed a few hundred dollars over spot. The proof coins are struck twice, are of higher overall quality, and are simply more aesthetically appealing. Though proofs are most common among collectors, they do have their own share of investment value as well.
Buying Gold Maple Leafs Online
It is very easy to buy Gold Maple Leafs online. Aside from the American Eagle, there is not another coin that is more abundant at gold websites. If you are ordering your coins online and would like to obtain a discount, your best bet is to buy a tube. Tubes of Gold Maple Leafs contain 20 pieces each and will enable you to save a fraction off your final order price.
Buying fake and otherwise manipulated Maple Leafs on the internet is not a real issue with this coin. This is because the price over spot for Maple Leafs is small enough where generating fake copies just wouldn’t make financial sense. With coins that have more limited releases, authenticity is a real concern, but you can feel safe buying Maple Leafs online provided you are shopping with a reputable dealer.
