Gold Maple Leafs

Sugar Maple Leaf

The sugar maple is a tree that can grow to impressive size and live for more than 200 years. Its leaves are instantly recognizable to anyone who loves fall or knows Canada, turning brilliant shades of yellow, orange and red each autumn. The maple is Canada's national tree, and its leaf has long symbolized the country and the values it stands for. A stylized maple leaf sits at the center of the Canadian flag, so it is only fitting that Canada's official gold bullion coin features this iconic image.

A Brief History of the Gold Maple Leaf

The Royal Canadian Mint introduced the Gold Maple Leaf in 1979. At the time, it joined the South African Gold Krugerrand as one of the two leading gold bullion coins issued by a sovereign mint. From 1979 to 1982, the coins were struck in .999 fine gold, and in late 1982 the series moved to an impressive .9999 fine gold. Some special releases have even been struck in .99999 fine gold, a remarkable level of purity.

Over the decades, several effigies of Queen Elizabeth II appeared on the obverse, showing the Queen as she matured through her reign. Beginning in 2024, the Gold Maple Leaf carries the effigy of King Charles III. In 1988, the Gold Maple was joined by the Silver Maple Leaf, which became another highly successful annual release from the Royal Canadian Mint.

While the core design has changed little apart from the monarch's portrait, the Royal Canadian Mint has added advanced security features over the years, including precise radial lines that make the coins difficult to counterfeit and a micro-engraved security mark that allows the Mint to authenticate each coin.

Special Gold Maple Issues

Many special releases have appeared throughout the Gold Maple Leaf series, sometimes to celebrate an occasion and sometimes simply to add variety. These include Gold Maples with privy marks, Gold Maples with hologram finishes, fractional Gold Maple Leafs and Gold Maple Leaf sets. Most impressive of all, one of the largest gold coins ever minted belongs to the Gold Maple family: a 100-kilogram coin of .99999 pure gold issued in 2007 with a face value of one million Canadian dollars.

Gold Incuse Maple Leaf

In 2019, the Royal Canadian Mint showed it still had new ideas by releasing the Canadian $50 1 oz Gold Maple Leaf Incuse. This Brilliant Uncirculated coin marked the first time the Mint struck a Gold Maple Leaf with an incuse design, meaning the classic maple leaf and the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II are pressed into the coin's surface instead of being raised above it. The Incuse Gold Maple Leaf was released to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Gold Maple series, following the Mint's first-ever incuse Silver Maple Leaf in 2018, which marked that series' 30th anniversary.