Launched in 1979 as the world’s second modern gold bullion coin, the Gold Maple Leaf raised the purity bar to .9999 and forced the whole industry to follow. Walter Ott’s maple-leaf reverse and the Mint’s Bullion DNA security make it one of the most liquid gold coins on earth.
Key facts
- Introduced 1979 by the Royal Canadian Mint; the standard 1 oz coin carries a $50 CAD face value and measures 30 mm.
- Fineness: .999 gold at launch, raised to .9999 (four nines) in 1982 — among the purest gold bullion coins in the world.
- Reverse: Walter Ott’s sugar maple leaf; obverse: the reigning monarch (Elizabeth II through 2023; Charles III from 2024).
- Fractional sizes exist (1/2, 1/4, 1/10, 1/20, 1/25 oz) plus silver, platinum, and palladium Maple Leafs.
- Modern security: radial-line background and micro-engraved maple-leaf privy (Bullion DNA) on recent issues.
- Authentication notes: fakes exist — buy from established dealers, check the radial lines and privy; sealed mint tubes and assay cards are normal for new coins.
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