Platinum Maple Leaf Coins
Platinum Canadian Maple Leafs - the world's best-selling platinum coins in 2012
Investors have the option to buy platinum coins with the iconic image of the maple leaf since 1988. That year, the Royal Canadian Mint introduced the Platinum Canadian Maple Leafs as Canada's official platinum bullion coins. The Silver Maple Leafs were introduced that same year and the Canadian Maple Leaf coin series also includes the Canadian Gold Maple Leafs and Canadian Palladium Maple Leafs. The Platinum Maple Leaf coins were the world's best-selling platinum bullion coins in 2012. Special coin versions also exist such as the hologram coins that were only issued in 2002 as well as special proof coins.
The 99.95% fine Platinum Maple Leafs are issued in the single denomination of 1 oz since 2009. The coins are offered with brilliant uncirculated and proof (including reverse proof) finishes. Fractional denominations that had been issued before may still become available on the secondary market from time to time. Relatively low premiums, ready availability and special anti-counterfeiting security features such as radial lines and a micro-engraved privy mark have made the 1 oz coins popular among investors wordwide. All Canadian Maple Leafs have legal tender status and their weight and purity is guaranteed. American buyers that are investing in platinum for their retirement can include the coins in their Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA's).
Coin Specifications
| Weight | Face Value | Purity | Diameter x Thickness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 oz | CAD $ 50 | 99.95% | 30 x 2.62 mm |
| 1/2 oz* | CAD $ 20 | 99.95% | 25 x 2.23 mm |
| 1/4 oz* | CAD $ 10 | 99.95% | 20 x 1.78 mm |
| 1/10 oz* | CAD $ 5 | 99.95% | 16 x 1.13 mm |
| 1/15oz** | CAD $ 2 | 99.95% | ? x ? mm |
| 1/20oz*** | CAD $ 1 | 99.95% | 14.1 x 0.92 mm |
Mintage:*1988-1999,2002;**1994;***1993-1999,2002
Collectible Platinum Maple Leaf Coin Designs
Platinum Maple Leaf Coin Design
The Canadian Platinum Maple Leaf coins display the same design as all the other Maple Leaf coins, no matter which precious metal they're made of. The intricately etched Maple Leaf on the reverse side gives the coins their name. Around the central Maple Leaf design are engraved the coin's weight, platinum purity and "CANADA" in big letters right above the leaf. A micro-engraved maple leaf privy mark first appeared on the reverse of the coins in 2015. That same year also saw the introduction of radial lines on the surface of both sides. Both of these details are added security features that the Royal Canadian Mint decided to implement to prevent counterfeiting.
The obverse side of all Canadian Maple Leaf coins features Queen Elizabeth II's right-facing portrait. The first two years of mintage, the Queen was depicted as a 39-year-old. In 1990, a switch to a newer portrait was made. That 2nd portrait that showed a 64-year-old Queen was used on the obverse of the coins until 2002. When the Canadian Platinum Maple Leafs were minted again in 2009, albeit only in the 1 oz denomination from then on, the portrait was changed to the current 3rd version. Susanna Blunt's currently employed design shows a 79-year-old Queen. That design had already been used on the silver coins since 2004. The royal title "ELIZABETH II" is inscribed above the portrait and the coin's CAD $ 50 face value and year of mintage are inscribed underneath it.
History of the Platinum Canadian Maple Leaf
The Royal Canadian Mint had organized a special striking ceremony for the 22nd of September 1988. The first ever Canadian Platinum Maple Leaf was struck at this occasion (also the first Canadian Silver Maple Leaf). Four denominations of 1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz and 1/10 oz were offered initially. The 1/20 oz coin was added in 1993 and even an unusually-sized 1/15 oz coin was minted for one year (1994).
The world's platinum market began contracting around the period of the millenium change. Annual mintage of the coins stopped after 1999 with the exception of 2002 when 500 sets of special Hologram Platinum Maple Leafs were minted. However, revived interest in platinum saw the Platinum Maple Leaf make a comeback in 2009, albeit only in the 1 oz denomination from then on. The 1 oz Platinum Canadian Maple Leaf was the world's best-selling platinum bullion coin in 2012.
The only design changes that affected the coins were when the portrait of the Queen was changed in 1990 and again in 2009. The radial lines and the micro-engraved privy mark that were introduced in 2015 also changed the look of the coins a bit. However, they were mainly introduced as added security features.
Mintage Numbers
Mintage figures for the brilliant uncirculated 1 oz platinum coin vary between 3,248 coins (1999) and 62,273 coins (1996). Mintage of 'regular' coins stopped after 1999 and only resumed in 2009 (but only 1 oz coins). In between, the only Canadian Maple Leaf platinum coins that were issued were the special hologram coins that were issued in 2002.
The mintage record for all denominations is held by the 1/4 oz Platinum Maple Leaf coin that was issued 87,200 times in 1988. The mintage low are the 460 coins of 1/20 oz that were minted in 1995.
Canadian Gold Maple Leafs
The Royal Canadian Mint produces the Canadian Gold Maple Leafs since 1979. The coins were minted out of 99.9% pure gold until 1981. Since then, they are 99.99% pure and some special editions of the coins are even minted out of 99.999% pure gold! The Canadian Maple Leaf gold coins that count among the most popular gold bullion coins worldwide are available with brilliant uncirculated and proof finishes in a wide range of denominations between 1 gram and 1 oz. Special security measures also make the coins extremely hard to counterfeit. These include micro-engraved radial lines as well as a textured maple leaf privy mark that has the last two digits of the year of mintage laser-engraved.
The Canadian Gold Maple Leaf page gives more information about the coins and allows you to compare current prices.
Canadian Silver Maple Leafs
The Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coins are minted by the Royal Canadian Mint since 1988. The legal tender coins with a face value of CAD $ 5 have the same design as the gold version of the coins. Silver Maple Leafs are minted out of 99.99% pure silver whereas most other silver bullion coins are 'only' 99.9% pure. That is a major reason why the coins count among the most popular silver coins worldwide. Only one denomination of 1 oz is offered by the Royal Canadian Mint for now. The standard brilliant uncirculated finish has been upgraded in 2014 and includes radial lines from the coin's center as well as a micro-engraved laser mark since then.
The Canadian Silver Maple Leaf page gives more information about the coins and allows you to compare current prices.
Canadian Palladium Maple Leafs
The 99.95% fine Canadian Palladium Maple Leafs were the first palladium coins ever minted by the Royal Canadian Mint and the world's first regularly issued palladium bullion coins. The coins were first minted in November 2005 and production continued uninterrupted until 2007. After that, Palladium Maple Leaf coins were again minted in 2009, 2015 and 2017. Radial lines as well as a special privy mark with the laser-engraved year of mintage were introduced as two new security features in 2015. These features were implemented to prevent counterfeiting. The coins are only available with a brilliant uncirculated finish in the single available size of 1 oz. Their official face value is CAD $ 50 and they have legal tender status in Canada.
The Canadian Palladium Maple Leaf page gives more information about the coins and allows you to compare current prices.
Canadian Platinum Maple Leaf Coin Sets
10th Anniversary Maple Leaf Proof Set 1989
total platinum weight: 1.85 oz
This set was issued in 1989 in order to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Canadian Maple Leaf coin series. It includes the proof Platinum Maple Leafs in the denominations of 1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz and 1/10 oz. The set is packaged in a beautiful wooden box and includes a numbered certificate of authenticity. Only 2,000 such sets were produced and issued and regular proof coins were not minted again after that. However, reverse proof coins were minted in 2017 and 2018 (see below under Reverse Proof Platinum Maple Leaf Sets).
5-Coin Hologram Set 2002
total platinum weight: 1.9 oz
This special set includes the 99.95% pure brilliant uncirculated 1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, 1/10 oz and 1/20 oz Platinum Maple Leaf coins. The iconic maple leaf on the reverse side of the coins has a holographic design. A total of 500 such sets was issued in 2002 and these were the only Platinum Canadian Maple Leafs issued that year (and the only hologram issues of the Canadian Maple Leaf platinum coin ever).
Reverse Proof Platinum Maple Leaf Sets
total platinum weight: 1.85 oz
The Royal Canadian Mint issued special collectible 4-coin sets in 2017 (mintage of 600 sets) and 2018 (mintage of 400 sets). The reverse proof 1 oz (CAD $ 300 face value), 1/2 oz (CAD $ 150), 1/4 oz (CAD $ 75) and 1/10 oz (CAD $ 30) Platinum Maple Leaf coins that were included in these sets displayed a different design than the one that appears on the bullion version of the coins.
The 2017 set was dedicated to commemorate the platinum wedding anniversary of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip. The Canadian artist Marie-Élaine Cusson created the reverse design of these collectible reverse proof coins. You can see the image of the reverse side of the 1 oz coin in the image slider higher up on this page. Its design differed from that of the other three fractional coins in this set in that it also displayed the couple's royal monograms and the number 70.
The 4-coin reverse proof set that was issued in 2018 was dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Platinum Maple Leaf. Arnold Machin's design of a 39-year-old Queen appears on the obverse side of these coins. The reverse design that was created by Jesse Koreck featured three overlapping maple leaves. The 1 oz (image is included in the slider above), 1/2 oz and 1/4 oz coins also had a special "30" anniversary privy mark on the reverse.