Gold has served as a safe haven asset for centuries. Investors continue to flock to it in times of economic uncertainty such as today. And it’s no surprise that the most popular coins for investors are those produced by some of the world’s largest gold producers, such as the United States, South Africa, and Canada.
For American investors, the American Gold Eagle is probably the most popular modern bullion coin to invest in. But not far behind it is the Canadian Gold Maple Leaf. The Gold Canadian Maple Leaf bullion coin is produced by the Royal Canadian Mint and was first minted in 1979 to satisfy the burgeoning demand for investment-grade gold bullion coins. With South African Krugerrand coins unavailable due to embargoes against the apartheid-era regime, the Canadian Mint stepped into the breach to satisfy investor demand for gold bullion coins. Coins minted between 1979 and 1982 were minted from 99.9% pure gold, while coins minted after that time are 99.99% pure gold, making them one of the finest gold bullion coins in the world.
The obverse of the coin features a profile portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. The reverse of this coin features the image of a maple leaf, the iconic symbol of Canada. In terms of worldwide popularity, the Maple Leaf is second only to the top-selling South African Krugerrand gold coins, making them a good choice for investors who want to enhance the international utility of their investments.
The Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coins are available in 1 oz., ½ oz., ¼ oz., 1/10 oz., 1/20 oz., and 1 gram sizes, featuring face values of 50, 20, 10, 5, 1, and 0.50 Canadian dollars respectively. The 1 gram coin comes packaged in an individual assay card featuring a unique serial number. The gold value of these coins is obviously worth far more than their face value. As with all gold bullion coins, the price you’ll pay for the coins will include a premium to the spot price of gold. Expect to pay higher premiums for the smaller coins, with normal premiums around 3% for the one ounce coins up to 30% or more for the 1/20 ounce and 1 gram coins.
Because of their exceptionally pure gold content, the Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coins are one of the foreign bullion coins that are acceptable for investment through a precious metals IRA. That allows investors the benefits of investing in gold while also affording them the same tax advantages of traditional IRA accounts.
Coin Specifications
Purity
0.9999 (24 kt)
Weight
- One ounce coin: 1.00 troy oz. (31.103 g)
- Half ounce coin: 0.50 troy oz. (15.552 g)
- Quarter ounce coin: 0.25 troy oz. (7.776 g)
- Tenth ounce coin: 0.10 troy oz. (3.110 g)
- Twentieth ounce coin: 0.05 troy oz. (1.581 g)
- One gram coin: 1 gram (0.0321 troy oz.)
Gold Content
- One ounce coin: 1 troy oz.
- Half ounce coin: 1/2 troy oz.
- Quarter ounce coin: 1/4 troy oz.
- Tenth ounce coin: 1/10 troy oz.
- Twentieth ounce coin: 1/20 troy oz.
- One gram coin: 1 gram (0.0321 troy oz.)
Diameter
- One ounce coin: 30.00 mm
- Half ounce coin: 25.00 mm
- Quarter ounce coin: 20.00 mm
- Tenth ounce coin: 16.00 mm
- Twentieth ounce coin: 14.10 mm
- One gram coin: 8.00 mm
Thickness
- One ounce coin: 2.80 mm
- Half ounce coin: 2.23 mm
- Quarter ounce coin: 1.70 mm
- Tenth ounce coin: 1.22 mm
- Twentieth ounce coin: 0.92 mm