1 oz Canadian Gold Maple Leaf Coin (BU)

The Coin That Set the Purity Bar

When the Royal Canadian Mint introduced the Gold Maple Leaf in 1979, it was the first widely traded coin struck in .9999 fine gold, a purity standard every major mint has since had to match. This 1 oz coin still carries that standard today, backed by a $50 face value from the Canadian government and struck to Brilliant Uncirculated quality every time. The purity standard stuck, and the Maple Leaf remains one of the few coins that hits four nines.

 

One Design, Two Monarchs

The reverse has barely changed across the decades: a single sugar maple leaf fills the field beneath the word CANADA, flanked by twin 9999 purity marks. The obverse carries whichever monarch was reigning when your coin was struck. Coins through 2023 carry Queen Elizabeth II’s portrait by Susanna Blunt, and coins from 2024 onward carry King Charles III’s portrait by Steven Rosati, the first Canadian coin to carry the new king’s effigy. Coins from recent years also add radial lines and a micro-engraved maple leaf, security features that make modern Maples some of the hardest bullion coins to counterfeit. The design has barely moved in four decades, only the monarch on the front has.

 

You Don’t Choose the Year

This listing ships whatever year and effigy the Mint has most available when your order goes out, not a year you pick. Depending on what’s in stock, you might receive a Queen Elizabeth II coin or a King Charles III coin, and multi-coin orders can include a mix of both. Every year meets the same purity and weight standard regardless of which monarch is on it. Year and effigy are random, and requests for one over the other aren’t accepted.

 

Government-Backed, Down to the Gram

What never moves is the metal and the backing behind it. Every coin weighs one troy ounce and assays at .9999 fine gold, carries a $50 face value from the Canadian government, and clears the IRS’s fineness floor for a precious metals IRA by a wide margin. Weight and purity are assayed, whichever year or effigy arrives at your door.

 

1 oz Gold Maple Leaf Specifications

Every coin holds one troy ounce of .9999 fine gold, 30 mm across, with a $50 face value struck into the design. Purity and weight are fixed, whichever year or effigy ships. Full current specs, including designer and finish, are on the Specifications tab above.

 

1 oz Gold Maple Leaf FAQ

 

Will I get a Queen Elizabeth II or King Charles III coin?

Either. The Mint introduced the King Charles III effigy in 2024, and used Queen Elizabeth II’s before that. This listing ships whichever year we have on hand, and you cannot request one over the other.

 

Is the 1 oz Gold Maple Leaf IRA eligible?

Yes. At .9999 fine, it clears the IRS’s .995 minimum for a precious metals IRA by a wide margin. Eligibility isn’t a close call, since the purity margin is that wide.

 

Does this coin have a face value?

Yes, every 1 oz Gold Maple Leaf carries a $50 Canadian face value backed by the government, though the bullion value of the gold inside is worth far more than that number stamped on the coin. Face value is $50, not what the coin is worth.

 

What condition will my coin arrive in?

Brilliant Uncirculated, as struck by the Mint. Because .9999 gold is soft, coins may show light handling marks from minting and shipping, which is normal for the series and does not affect the gold content. Condition is Brilliant Uncirculated, not a third-party grade.

 

How much gold am I actually getting?

One full troy ounce of .9999 fine gold in every coin, the same purity and weight regardless of year or effigy. Only the design changes, never the gold content.

 

Curious how the Maple Leaf compares to other sovereign gold coins? Browse our full Canadian Gold Coins selection.

 

Ready to add four-nines gold to your stack? Add the 1 oz Canadian Gold Maple Leaf Coin to your cart.