Canadian Gold Coins

November 16, 2009 – Canadian gold coins are minted by the Royal Canadian Mint, and the Canadian Gold Maple Leaf is the official gold bullion coin of Canada. The Canadian Maple Leaf was designed by Walter Ott, and this coin has encompassed a .9999 gold content since 1981. The coin was originally minted in 0.999 gold, and the Royal Canadian Mint has produced some special issue .99999 fine coins. These Canadian gold coins contain no base metals, but only gold mined from Canada. The Canadian Gold Maple Leaf was first minted in 1979, which was only eight years after US President Richard Nixon removed the United States from the Gold Standard. Its’ direct competition at the time was the South African Krugerrand, but the Krugerrand was largely unavailable due to a global boycott of South Africa due to apartheid.

Canadian gold coins are produced in one ounce, ½ ounce, ¼ ounce, 1/10 ounce, and 1/20 ounce denominations. The Mint produced a 1/15 ounce coin in 1994, but this unsuccessful coin was eliminated from the lineup after 1994. Canadian Maple Leaf coins are legal tender, but their face values are much lower than their actual market worth.

In 2007, the Royal Canadian Mint released a coin with a $1 million face value. The inherent gold was worth well over $2 million at the time. This incredible masterpiece was created as a promotional ploy for the Royal Canadian Mint, but orders for this coin have steadily trickled in since it was originally shown off. While this coin is certainly a rarity, the majority of Canadian gold coins are bullion items that could be confiscated by the US government within the next year. If you want to purchase gold coins that are deemed non-confiscatable, historic American coins may be a wiser investment. Contact us directly for more information on non-confiscatable, investment-grade gold coins. 

Kevin Johnson

Senior Staff Writer – GoldCoin.net