Canadian Gold Maple Leaf

Learn about the origin, design and production of Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coins.

The Origin Story

The Canadian Gold Maple Leaf was introduced by the Royal Canadian Mint in 1979, and its counterpart, the Canadian Silver Maple Leaf, was introduced in 1988.

Design

  • Heads: The obverse design featured a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II until it was replaced by a portrait of King Charles III in late 2023.
  • Tails: On the reverse, the Canadian Gold Maple Leaf features the maple leaf, a symbol synonymous with Canada.

Production Details

Canadian Gold Maple Leafs are some of the highest-purity gold bullion coins in the world at 99.99% gold (24 karats) and have laser-engraved microdots to prevent counterfeiting.

Here are the sizes of Canadian Gold Maple Leafs and their respective legal tender values:

  • 1 oz, $50 Canadian Dollars
  • 1/2 oz, $25 Canadian Dollars
  • 1/4 oz, $10 Canadian Dollars
  • 1/10 oz, $5 Canadian Dollars
  • 1/20 oz, $1 Canadian Dollars
  • 1/25 oz, $0.50 Canadian Dollars
  • 1 gram coin, also known as a “Maple Gram”, has an unknown face value

Within the first three years of production, the Canadian Mint had sold almost 3 million 1 oz coins.