The Gold Maple Leaf is one of the older gold coins still in circulation today, it was first minted in 1979. Produced by the Royal Canadian Mint, the Gold Maple Leaf was the only gold coin that existed besides the South African Gold Krugerrand. Like the Gold Panda, the Maple Leaf was originally minted with a gold fineness of .999, the Royal Mint upped the ante a bit since then and today the coin is at a fineness of .9999.

Like many Canadian and English coins the Gold Maple Leaf’s obverse side has an image of Queen Elizabeth II. The reverse also has a relatively simple design as it shows nothing more than a Maple Leaf, a symbol that means a lot to each and every Canadian. The Gold Maple Leaf already has a fineness of .9999, but some special editions of the coin have a fineness of .99999. Gold Maple Leaf’s are offered in standard sizes of 1/20, 1/10, ¼, ½, and 1 ounces. The face values of these coins, in Canadian dollars, is $1, $5, $10, $20, and $50 respectively.

The Gold Maple Leaf is popular all over the world, but its popularity cannot be contended with in North America. The fact that the coin is offered in more than one size makes it a great option for collectors and investors of any level. Newer investors and collectors enjoy the smaller less expensive sizes while experienced investors and collectors turn to the bigger sizes. The absence of any filler metal in the coin means that taking care of the coin carries heavy importance if you would like it to retain its value. The combination of having milled edges and being made of solely gold means that even placing the coin in plastic tubes may not complete protect it. Luckily there are plenty of ways to properly protect the coin and your investment.