Canadian Silver Maple Leaf Coins
Silver Maple Leafs - one of the purest silver bullion coins
When you buy silver bullion coins, you usually have to be content with a silver purity of 99.9%. The Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coins are however minted out of 99.99% fine silver which makes them stand out among the other popular silver bullion coins. The Royal Canadian Mint started minting the silver coins back in 1988. Already during the first few years of production, several million Silver Maple Leafs were sold. In recent years, annual mintage has exploded and set new records again. American buyers that are investing in silver for their retirements can include the coins in their Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA's).
The government of Canada guarantees the purity and weight of the Silver Maple Leaf coins. Whereas the Canadian Gold Maple Leafs are offered in a wide range of denominations between 1 oz and 1 gram, the standard bullion version of the Canadian Silver Maple Leafs is only available in the 1 oz denomination. Individual 1 oz proof coins were only offered in 1989 but coins with special privy marks were offered in many years and for many different occasions. Additionally, various collectible coin versions were issued over the years in many different sizes (including in fractional denominations that were however almost exclusively sold in sets and not individually).
The maple leaf design that appears on the collectible coin versions differs from the design of the 1 oz bullion version though. This standard design of the 1 oz bullion version only underwent some minor changes over the years. The Queen's portrait on the obverse side of the coins was twice updated to a newer version and the design of the reverse side was upgraded in 2014. It includes radial lines from the coin's center as well as a micro-engraved laser mark since then.
Coin Specifications
| Weight | Face Value | Purity | Diameter x Thickness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 oz | CAD $ 5 | 99.99% | 38 x 3.29 mm |
Collectible Silver Maple Leaf Coin Designs
Silver Maple Leaf Coin Design
The silver version of the Canadian Maple Leaf coins features the same design as all the other Maple Leaf coins out of gold, platinum and palladium. The coins got their name from the intricately etched Canadian Maple Leaf that makes up most of the design on the reverse side. The coin's denomination and silver purity as well as the word "CANADA" is inscribed along the edge. Since 2014, the reverse also contains a small textured maple leaf that has the last two digits of the year of mintage laser-engraved on it. Radial lines engraved with micro precision on the surface of the coin are another security feature that was added in 2014.
The obverse side of the Canadian Maple Leafs features a portrait of the British monarch Queen Elizabeth II. When the Silver Maple Leaf was first issued, Arnold Machin's design depicted the Queen as a 39-year-old. In 1990, a switch to Dora de Pédery-Hunt's newer portrait of a 64-year-old Queen was made. The current obverse design by Susanna Blunt that depicts a 79-year-old Queen Elizabeth II was first used on the silver coins in 2004. "ELIZABETH II" is inscribed above her image and the coin's face value and year of mintage are inscribed below.
History of the Silver Maple Leaf Coins
The Royal Canadian Mint started with the production of the Canadian Silver Maple Leafs in 1988. There were no major design changes throughout the years with the exception of the Queen's portrait on the obverse that was twice updated to a newer version. The look of the coin changed a bit in 2014 when radial lines and a micro-engraved laser mark were introduced.
Various special editions of the Silver Canadian Maple Leaf were released throughout the years, not only in anniversary years but also to commemorate certain events in history and for various other occasions. An example for special Silver Maple Leafs that were released in anniversary years are the 10 oz reverse proof coins that were released in 1998 to mark the 10th anniversary of this silver coin series. There were also various other special coins with maple leaf motifs. These are the 2 oz, 5 oz, 10 oz and 1 kg coins as well as the coloured and hologram coins that you can all see listed under "See Special Coin Versions" higher up on this webpage. The Royal Canadian Mint also released limited edition fractional sets in most years during the last decade as you can see further down on this page under "Canadian Maple Leaf Silver Coin Sets".
Besides these special coins with maple leaf designs that differ from the standard design of the bullion coins, there were also many 1 oz Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coins that were released with special privy marks to mark certain events throughout the years. Such privy marked 1 oz coins were issued to commemorate the respective Chinese Lunar year (1998-2009 and since 2012), certain anniversaries of the coin series (for example for the 20th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Mint's Maple Leaf Program in 1999), historical events (the end of the 2nd World War or the sinking of the Titanic), coin fairs (for example for the ANA World's Fair of Money in Chicago in 2015) and world expos (the 2000 World Expo in Hanover) and even for the beginning of the new millenium in 1999/2000. Furthermore, there were also privy marks on 1 oz Silver Maple Leaf coins that featured buildings (for example the 2009 Brandenburg Gate and London's Tower Bridge privies) or animals (for example the 2016 Timber Wolf, Grizzly Bear and Panda privies).
Mintage Numbers
Mintage figures for the brilliant uncirculated 1 oz silver coin vary widely between 100,970 coins (1997) and 29,245,000 coins (2014). Since 2005, there has been a veritable explosion in mintage numbers almost every year. In fact, 2012 was the only year that saw a slight contraction of mintage figures since then.
A proof version of the Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coin was only minted in 1989. The about 30,000 coins that were minted sold out very quickly.
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.
Platinum Canadian Maple Leafs
The Royal Canadian Mint produced the 99.95% fine Canadian Platinum Maple Leaf coins from 1988 - 1999 and in 2002 in the denominations of 1 oz (face value CAD $ 50), 1/2 oz (CAD $ 20), 1/4 oz (CAD $ 10), 1/10 oz (CAD $ 5) and 1/20 oz (minted since 1993, CAD $ 1). Only in 1994 was a 1/15 oz coin (CAD $ 2) produced as well. The Platinum Canadian Maple Leafs made a comeback in 2009 but are since then only produced in the 1 oz denomination with brilliant uncirculated and proof (including reverse proof) finishes. They were the world's best selling platinum coins in 2012. Radial lines and a micro-engraved privy mark were introduced as counterfeiting measures in 2015.
The Canadian Platinum 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 Maple Leaf Silver Coin Sets
Fractional Coin Sets
total silver weight: 1.85 or 1.9 oz
Even though the bullion version of the Canadian Silver Maple Leafs is only available in the 1 oz denomination, 99.99% pure fractional Silver Maple Leaf coins do exist in the denominations of 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, 1/10 oz and 1/20 oz. These fractional coins are however only available when buying the 5-coin set (1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, 1/10 oz, 1/20 oz) or 4-coin set (only in 2017, no 1/20 oz coin) that the Royal Canadian Mint first issued (as far as I could ascertain) in 2003 for the 15th anniversary of the coin series. Whereas the five coins that were included in the 2003 set featured a hologram, the five reverse proof coins that were included in the 2004 fractional coin set had a privy mark in the shape of the logo of the Royal Canadian Mint.
Since the 25th anniversary of this coin series in 2013, fractional Silver Maple Leaf sets have been issued in limited mintages in every year except 2018 when a 4-coin fractional set was issued for the Platinum Maple Leaf coins instead. The coins were always issued with a reverse proof finish and design features included selective gold plating, an incused design and red enamel (2015), blue rhodium (2019), red colouring and a Swarovski element (2020), pulsating technology (2021) and diamond glitter (2022). You can see the Maple Leaf designs that appeared on the reverse side of the collectible reverse proof 1 oz Silver Maple Leaf coins that were a part of these fractional sets (as well as the mintage numbers) in the image slider above.
1998 RCMP 125th Anniversary Set
total silver weight: 1 oz
In 1998, the Royal Canadian Mint issued 25,000 of these 2-piece sets to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The set includes a limited edition 1 oz Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coin with the first ever privy mark for Canada by the Royal Canadian Mint. The coin has a numbered certificate of authenticity. The set comes packaged in an illustrated RCMP history booklet with a stamp souvenir sheet and a First Day cover.
2004/2005 Legacy of Liberty Set
total silver weight: 3 oz
This set that was issued 4,200 times is meant to commemorate the Allied soldiers sacrifices in World War II. All three included 1 oz Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coins (one dated 2004, the other two 2005) feature a special privy mark relating to that theme. The set includes a 2004 colorized quarter as a bonus. It is packaged in a leather case with a certificate of authenticity.
Maple Leaf Piedfort Set 2010
total gold weight: 1/5 oz
total silver weight: 1 oz
This Maple Leaf Piedfort Set was issued in 2010. It includes two Piedfort coins, a 1/5 oz Gold Maple Leaf coin and a 1 oz Silver Maple Leaf coin (whose image is included in the image slider higher up on this page). Both coins have a reverse proof finish. The 99.999% pure gold coin measures 16mm in diameter and has an official face value of CAD $ 10. The CAD $ 5 silver Piedfort coin in this set is 99.99% pure and measures 34mm in diameter. The maximum mintage of this set was 3000.
30th Anniversary 2-Coin Set 2018
total silver weight: 2 oz
For the 30th anniversary of the Silver Maple Leaf series in 2018, the Royal Canadian Mint issued a special 2-coin set that includes two 1 oz Silver Maple Leafs, one with a proof finish and the other with a reverse proof finish. Besides their superior finish, these two coins differ from the regular bullion version of the coins in that they have a special laser-engraved background design that features a repeating pattern of a maple leaf with the number 30. Mintage of this 30th Anniversary 2-Coin Set was limited to 5,000 sets worldwide. The 1,500 sets that were specifically allocated to the United States were exclusively sold by the dealer APMEX. The two 1 oz coins that are included in this set were packaged together in a maroon clamshell box that has a black outer sleeve.
"Pride of Two Nations" Set 2019
total silver weight: 2 oz
This limited edition set from 2019 contains the 99.99% pure modified proof 1 oz Canadian Silver Maple Leaf and the 99.9% pure enhanced reverse proof 1 oz American Silver Eagle (with the W mint mark). The inscriptions on the Silver Maple Leaf are polished instead of frosted (hence the modified proof label) and the enhanced reverse proof Silver Eagle had multiple polished and frosted finishes applied on its design elements instead of just simply having a frosted background and polished design elements.
Canadian Maple Masters Collection 2020
total silver weight: 56.607 oz
The Royal Canadian Mint issued only 250 sets of the Canadian Maple Masters Collection in 2020. Five proof coins of 99.99% purity are included in this collection. The coins were minted with special maple leaf designs on the reverse that were created by the Canadian artist Nathalie Lagacé. In fact, each coin features a unique design of one of Canada's different maple species. These were the five included denominations, official face values and featured maple species: 1kg (CAD $ 150, sugar maple), 1/2kg (CAD $ 125, silver maple), 5oz (CAD $ 50, Douglas maple), 2oz (CAD $ 30, black maple) and 1oz (CAD $ 20, bigleaf maple). The 1kg coin even features selective plating with rose gold. You can see the five unique reverse side designs in the image slider above.