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Canadian
Gold Maple Leaf
The
Canadian Gold Maple Leaf is the official bullion gold coin of Canada
and is produced by the Royal Canadian
Mint. The brainchild of Walter Ott, it is one of the purest
gold coins of regular issue in the world, with a gold content of
.9999 millesimal fineness (24 carats), with some special issues
.99999 fine. That is, it contains virtually no base metals at all –
only gold exclusively from gold mines in Canada.
The coin was first introduced in 1979. At that time, the only
available bullion coin was the Krugerrand, which was not widely
available because of an economic boycott of apartheid-era South
Africa. Coins minted between 1979 and 1981 have gold content of
.999.
The coin is offered in 1/20 oz, 1/10 oz, 1/4 oz, 1/2 oz, and 1 oz
denominations and is guaranteed to contain the stated amount (in
troy ounces) of .9999 fine gold (24 carat). The coins have legal
tender status in Canada, but as is often the case with
bullion
coins, the face values of these coins (C$1, C$5, C$10, C$20 and
C$50) are purely symbolic and are much lower than their market
value.
The 1/20, 1/10, 1/4, and 1/2 troy oz coins are identical in design
to the 1 troy oz coin except for the markings on the obverse and
reverse sides that indicate the weight and face value of the coin.
In 1994, 1/15 oz ($2.00 face value) gold and platinum coins were
issued, possibly for use in jewelry. They were not very successful,
and so 1994 remains the only year in which 1/15 oz gold and platinum
bullion coins were produced.
Starting in 1988, Maple Leaf coins have also been struck in
.9995-fine platinum, having the same weights and face values as the
gold coins. Since 1988, a one ounce .9999-fine silver Maple Leaf has
also been struck, with a face value of 5 dollars. In 2005, a
.9995-fine palladium Maple Leaf 1 oz coin was introduced, with a
face value of 50 dollars. The palladium Maple Leaf is subject to the
federal GST in Canada.
PLEASE SEEK
PROFESSIONAL ADVICE BEFORE YOU BUY OR SELL GOLD, SILVER & COINS.
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