The Maple Leaf is among the best-selling investment silver coins worldwide. The coin has a high fineness of 999.9/1000 and since 2013 an additional security feature, the so called laser engram. Maple Leaf 1 oz silver coins are made in Canada and the official Mint is the Royal Canadian Mint. Maple Leaf silver coins are sold VAT-free in our Estonian branch.
Fineness, size, weight and denomination
The Maple Leaf silver coin is made of pure silver with a fine weight of 1 oz and fineness of 999.9/1000. The precious metal silver is very soft, which is why the Maple Leaf has low scratch resistance. The diameter of the coin is 38 mm and the thickness is 3.15 mm. The Maple Leaf has a nominal value of 5 Canadian dollars, making it legal tender in Canada. Of course, the Maple Leaf silver coin is not used for shopping of goods or services in Canada. This is because the real value is above the nominal value.
WeightFineweightDiameterThicknessNominal Value
1 oz 31.103 g 38.0 mm 3.15 mm 5 CAD
The history of Maple Leaf silver coins
With the onset of the oil crisis in the early 1970s and the end of the gold ban in the United States and other countries, investors were able to re-invest in gold. Thus it was only logical that countries and their mints brought bullion coins in gold and silver to the market in order to bring their partly self mined precious metals to the investor market. With the introduction of Maple Leaf gold coins in 1979, the triumph of these investment coins began. Until then, the Krugerrand, which was first minted by South Africa in 1967, still dominated, but Maple Leaf gold coins were able to establish themselves as very successful investment coins around the world.
In 1988 the Silver Maple Leaf was published, it still today has a fine weight of 1 oz and also the appearance has not changed, which is undoubtedly one of its strengths. The Maple Leaf silver coins could be established on the world market quickly and easily. In recent years, Maple Leaf silver sales were in the tens of millions next to the American Eagle and the Vienna Philharmonic making the “Maple” one of the the best-selling silver coins in the world.
The silver coin and their motifs
Maple Leaf silver coins have like most other coins also an edge rod and a rippled edge. The edge rod protects the design and allows better stacking of the coin. Their rippled edge actually serves to protect against tampering, since the cutting of silver would be detected immediately. The surfaces of both sides of the coin have a fine line structure, the radial lines, facing inward and getting narrower until it disappears completely.
The front shows the motif of a Maple Leaf, the national symbol of Canada. This maple leaf is shown not only in outline, but with the very fine contours of the leaf. Below the motif the laser engram safety feature can be seen, it is integrated in a small maple leaf and shows the last two digits of the embossing year. Above the design of the Maple Leaf silver coin the country of manufacture "Canada" is stamped. Left and right of the motif the fineness "9999" can be seen. On the edge side on the lower half of the coin are the following words engraved "Fine Silver 1oz Argent pur".
The back is held traditional for Commonwealth coins and equipped with the current Ruler of the United Kingdom. Therefore, since the first embossing in 1988 "Queen Elizabeth II" to see. In addition, is impressed on the design of the name of the Regent. Beneath the Maple Leaf is the nominal value and the year of issue.
Royal Canadian Mint
The Canadian Royal Canadian Mint, based in Ottawa, is one of the largest mints in the world. Founded in 1908, the Royal Canadian Mint acted as a branch of the Royal Mint of the United Kingdom. From 1931 on, the Mint became under the control of the Canadian Treasury. In 1969 the Royal Canadian Mint was granted entrepreneurial freedom as a Crown Corporation. Its most important product in addition to about 74 foreign currencies, Maple Leaf bullion coins, medals and collector coins is the Canadian Dollar.
Maple Leaf silver coins Advantages & Disadvantages
A principal advantage of silver coins is the fact that silver can never completely lose its value, as it is the case for currencies and equities. The use of silver is foremost in jewellery production, in industry and crafts. Silver has no known substitute for literally thousands of industrial applications. In times of crisis silver investments secure capital next to gold investments. But watch out, with the high volatility of the silver market the right entry into silver investments is of extraordinary importance. The benefits of silver are further high value density, since you can store it in small spaces. Furthermore, silver coins like the Maple Leaf 1 oz are recognised worldwide and can be bought and sold in almost all precious metal dealers and banks. Compared to cast silver bars coins can score because they have a relatively tightly closed surface through the minting process and do not corrode as quickly as bars. The formation of silver sulfide must be regarded as normal and does not diminish the quality and the weight of fine silver coins. Next investors value the consistent appearance of the Maple Leaf, as it makes it very recognisable.
Disadvantages of silver coins as an investment in Germany is the 19% VAT which will be applied. Investors can buy silver VAT free in our Estonian branch on celticgold.eu. Because of high volatility the price of silver is not as stable as gold, so the investor needs to have strong nerves. Due to the high fineness, silver coins usually have a low scratch resistance, since silver is just like gold, a very soft precious metal.
Tips Maple Leaf silver coins
The best tip when buying Maple Leaf silver coins is to look up the current price of silver - and silver coins so determine a price bottom. In order to recognise when a bottom is reached, each investor should familiarize themselves with silver prices in recent decades. There is also at individual sellers price differences, for this reason, one should compare prices before buying, so as not to unnecessarily pay more than needed. The premium consists of cost and margin of the mint and seller. The premium is added the current silver price. Volume discounts of Maple Leaf silver coins should be offered, if you order a higher quantity.
