Maple Leaf 1oz Gold Coin different years
Royal Canadian Mint
The Royal Canadian Mint is one of the largest and most popular issuers of high-quality gold and silver coins.
The Canadian Maple Leaf 1 oz gold coin is a gold bullion coin and thus exempt from VAT in all European countries. The Maple Leaf is one of the three best-selling gold coins in the world. With a fineness of 999.9/1000 the Gold Maple is made of 24 karat fine gold.
Alloy & Sizes
The Maple Leaf 1oz has a fine weight of 31,103 grams with a fineness of 999.9/1000 since 1982. It is therefore a so-called "four nine fine" gold coin. Some Maple Leaf Proof editions have a purity of 999.99/1000, they are called "five nine fine". However, since the production is very expensive, these particular Maple Leaf Proof coins are minted in very limited editions.
|
Weight |
Fineweight |
Diameter |
Thickness |
Nominal Value |
|
1 Ounce |
31.103 g |
30.00 mm |
2.80 mm |
50 CAD |
Story
In 1979, the heyday of the Krugerrand, the Maple Leaf gold coin was introduced. The time from 1974 to 1984 was marked by several oil crises and many investors bought gold. The first edition of the 1oz Maple Leaf Gold Coin that was introduced in 1979 was very successful with 1,000,000 pieces minted. It was the second best-selling gold bullion coin the world after the Krugerrand. The 1980 edition was increased to 1.2525 million ounces and remained in the millions until 1989.
Annual sales dropped after 1989, and it was not until 2009 when the one million mark was reached again. In comparison, Krugerrand sales peaked with 6 million 1oz gold coins in 1978. In the mintage years 1979, 1980 and 1981 the 1oz Maple Leaf had a fineness of 999/1000. In 1982 the fineness was increased to 999.9/1000 and the fractional sizes 1/4oz and 1/10oz were added the the coin series. In 1986 the ½oz was introduced and the 1/20oz in 1993. The 1g Maple Leaf was introduced to the world market in 2014.
Appearance
The Maple Leaf 1oz has a perfect gold coloration, since no other alloy such as copper or silver are used. Equipped with an edge bar and a rippled edge, these two elements are designed to protect against tampering. The edge bar improves the stackability and also protects the motif. Since 2013, there is a security feature of a smaller maple leaf, below the motif embossed by laser. The last two numbers of the year of the issue are laser engraved and only viewable with a magnifying lense.
Front
The design of the front is a maple leaf. Above the maple leaf "CANADA" is imprinted. Left and right of the maple leaf the fineness "9999" can be seen. On the lower half of the Maple Leaf around the edge, the words "FINE GOLD" and "1OZ OR PUR" are stamped.
Back
The back is adorned with the representation of Queen Elizabeth II. Above the motif the name of the regent "ELIZABETH II" is imprinted. Below the motive the face value "50 DOLLARS" and the year of issue can be seen.
Benefits Maple Leaf 1oz
A major advantage of 1oz Maple Leafs is the high quantity in both circulation and annual mintage. This decreases the overall premium and thus embossing costs. Furthermore, the 2013 edition introduced the laser engram security feature, which minimizes counterfeits. Maple Leaf gold coins are globally recognized and can be bought and sold at most banks and precious metals dealers. A great advantage of gold is that you can store it as an investment in very small spaces. One of the only disadvantage of the Maple Leaf is the coins high level of gold purity. Gold is very soft and as a result, the Maple Leaf can be susceptible to surface scratches. The coin should be handled with care and kept in its protective packaging.
Royal Canadian Mint
The official mint for the Canadian Dollar and the Maple Leaf, is the "Royal Canadian Mint" based in Ottawa. Founded in 1908, it is subordinate to the Ministry of Finance, but it can act independently. The Mint is responsible for the production of 74 foreign currencies as well as many other products. The Master of the Mint is currently "Marc Brûlé,". The title of Master of the Mint was first introduced in the United Kingdom. One of the most famous bearers of this title was Sir Isaac Newton, who became Master of the Mint for the Royal Mint London in 1799.
Particularities
In the first three embossing years 1979, 1980, 1981 the Maple Leaf 1oz had a fineness of 999/1000. From 1982 onwards the fineness was increased to 999.9/1000. Since 2013, the Maple Leaf 1oz has a laser engraved safety feature. In 2007, the largest gold coin in the world, at that time, was produced by the Royal Canadian Mint. This special Maple Leaf edition has a weight of 100kg and the nominal value of 1 million Canadian Dollars.
Tips When Buying
In order to get the best deal when buying the Maple Leaf, we would like to share some important buying tips. Generally speaking, the price of the Maple Leaf is composed of the current gold price and the premium. Always buy precious metals from a reputable seller, that trades only original goods.
Premium and Purchasing Cost
The premium consists of all production cost of the Mint, transportation costs, insurance and the seller’s margin. Since 1oz Maple Leaf gold coins are manufactured in very high volumes, the premium is relatively low. Maple Leaf gold coins in smaller denominations such as the 1/4oz carry a higher premium. Furthermore, the seller adds their margin to the premium, which explains price differences amongst dealers for the same product. Current years are more expensive in most cases, because they come directly from the Mint and have the grading "Mint-state, Uncirculated".
Tax
Maple Leaf gold coins are exempt from VAT because they are considered “gold bullion coins”. The following criteria must be met in order for gold coins to receive exemption from VAT.
Criteria Gold Bullion Coins
- + The gold coin must be minted after 1800.
- + The gold coin must have a minimum purity of 900/1000.
- + The gold coin has to be legal tender in the country of manufacture.
- + The gold coin must not exceed more than 80% of the open market value.
Details Maple Leaf 1oz
- Country of origin: Canada
- Manufacturer: Royal Canadian Mint
- Karat: 24 K
- Alloy: Gold
- Fineness: 999.9 / 1000
- Fineweight: 31.103g
- Scratch resistance: Poor
- Melting point: approx 1064 °C
| Metal | Gold |
| Form | Gold Coin |
| Country of Origin | Canada |
| Manufacturer | Royal Canadian Mint |
| Series | Maple Leaf |
| Purity | 999.9/1000 |
| Fineweight | 31.10 gram |
| Gross Weight | 31.10 gram |
| Denomination (oz) | 1 oz |
| Grade | Brilliant |
| Condition | Circulated |
| Face value | 50 CAD |
| Thickness | 2.87 mm |
| Diameter | 38.00 mm |
| Packaging | Single in Pouch |
| Packaging Unit | 10 per Tube |
| Large Packaging 2 | 500 per Box |