Canadian Gold Coins

Along with the U.S. Mint and the Royal British Mint, the Royal Canadian Mint is one of the most dominant forces within the bullion sector. These three mints dominate the global sales of bullion, and their coins have been enjoyed by millions of collectors over the years. While the American Double Eagle and the Gold Eagle are extremely popular, the Canadian Gold Maple Coin typically rivals both U.S. Mint pieces when it comes to global sales numbers. 

The Canadian Gold Maple isn’t the only coin offered by the Royal Canadian Mint, however. This major government mint offers a number of popular coins, several of which are coveted for their intricate designs and high gold purity. Doing business with the Royal Canadian Mint means buying from one of the most respected government mints in history. Their commitment to detail and refinement has led to an impressive reputation among even the most discerning bullion collectors. 

Bullion collectors might still have quite a few questions about Canadian Gold Coins. Why do Canadian Gold Coins frequently feature the likeness of Queen Elizabeth? How does the Canadian Gold Maple compare to the American Double Eagle? Today, we’re explaining everything that a new bullion collector might want to know about the most popular Canadian Gold Coins. 

This category page should function as a solid starting point as you continue to dive into the exciting and eye-catching world of Canadian Gold Coins. But if you reach the end of our guide and find yourself with additional questions about the Royal Canadian Mint or the famous coins they distribute, please don’t hesitate to contact us. 

The Canadian Royal Mint

A proper guide to Canadian Gold Coins starts with the mint that produces them. The Canadian Royal Mint is one of the newer mints, at least among the major government mints with the highest global sales volumes. This mint was first founded over a century ago in 1908. For around fifty years, the Canadian Royal Mint didn’t actually mint their own coinage. Instead, coins were minted by the British Royal Mint and shipped to the Canadian Royal Mint for distribution.

This partnership makes sense, considering the unique political identity of Canada at this point in history. While the country was technically considered a self-governing entity in 1908, they remained officially a part of the British Empire. Canada actually didn’t gain official, complete independence in the form of its own constitution until 1982. Because Canada was still a part of the British Empire, the British Royal Mint was happy to help the country produce currency by striking coins for it. 

Initially, the Mint’s primary purpose was to help Canada produce greater amounts of denominated currency as the country grew in size and population. With the help of the British Royal Mint, Canada began distributing great amounts of gold coins used as official currency for the growing country. 

In 1901, the British Royal Mint authorized Canada to build a new branch of the old mint in Ottawa, Canada. The first coin struck by this new Royal Canadian Mint was the 50-cent piece. For thirty years, the Royal Canadian Mint continued to operate as a subsidiary of the existing Royal British Mint. The Mint was able to negotiate independence and become its own self-governing mint in 1931. 

Since then, the Royal Canadian Mint has only increased its influence in the bullion market. We won’t bore you with detailed descriptions of how minting technologies have been refined over the years at the Royal Canadian Mint. To make a long story short, the Royal Canadian Mint has, over time, developed some of the most sophisticated technologies for high quality gold striking in the world. 

Canadian Gold Maple

The Canadian Gold Maple is clearly the star of the Royal Canadian Mint’s bullion line. Compared to most other items distributed by the mint, the Canadian Gold Maple is undeniably the most famous. And a cursory understanding of the piece’s purity, design, and history makes it easy to understand why this might be the case. 

The Canadian Gold Maple is minted using either .9999  or .999 pure gold bullion. This is usually the case with bullion coins; the American Buffalo Gold Coin is similarly .9999 pure. This piece is legal tender in the country of Canada – as are all coins distributed by the Royal Canadian Mint. This piece carries a face value of 50 CAD, although the market value for the Canadian Gold Maple is far greater due to its gold content. 

Canadian Gold Maples are most commonly sold in their 1 oz variant, although the mint has also offered 1 gram, 1/25 oz, 1/20 oz, ¼ oz, and ½ oz variations. Each of these denominations of the Canadian Gold Maple comes with its own face value. 

Let’s take a closer look at the obverse and reverse side designs of the Canadian Gold Maple. While the gold content of this piece is one main driver behind its historical price trends, gold collectors also prize the coin for its intricate and beautiful design. Like other popular coins from historic national mints, the Canadian Gold Maple is designed to emphasize the cultural history of its country. 

The obverse of the coin features the likeness of Queen Elizabeth II. As we covered in the history section above, the Royal Canadian Mint was a subsidiary branch of the British Royal Mint for decades before it became self-governing. To this day, Canada is considered a commonwealth of Britain. While Great Britain holds no governing power over the commonwealth, Queen Elizabeth is still honored in the Canadian Gold Maple – as well as other Canadian Mint coins. 

The obverse of the Canadian Gold Maple has aged with the queen. Modern versions of the coin minted from 2014 to the present feature a 79-year-old Queen Elizabeth, complete with pearl earrings and a pearl necklace. 

The reverse of the coin is where the piece gets its name. The background of the reverse is textured, which adds a new level of security to the Canadian Gold Maple. In the center of this side of the coin, the maple leaf is rendered in exceptional and textured detail. The purity of the coin is inscribed on either side of the maple leaf, along with the weight, material, and denomination of the coin. 

Canadian Klondike Gold Coin

The Canadian Klondike Gold Coin is another popular gold coin meant to commemorate the unique history and culture of the Canadian people. In the late 1890s, people from all over the world migrated to Klondike, Yukon in order to take advantage of gold reserves discovered within the region. Like the American Gold Rush, this historical event was essential to the making of the nation as we know it today. 

This gold coin was designed to commemorate the 12th anniversary of the first gold discovery made in the Klondike region. To drive home the importance of this event, the Royal Canadian Mint used state-of-the-art mint technology to strike the coin using .99999 pure gold. This is exceedingly rare, even for a mint as respected and technologically advanced as the Royal Canadian Mint. Most coins, such as the American Buffalo, are only struck using .9999 pure gold bullion. 

On the reverse side of the Canadian Klondike Gold Coin, collectors can enjoy a detailed rendering of a gold panning device, which is used to check for gold among batches of sediment. During the 1890s, this tool would have been the primary method used by gold miners to look for gold in the Klondike. Collectors are always impressed by the detail of this coin; two hands are visible and hold the pan as it drips water onto an image of a Canadian Gold Maple Coin. Even the wrinkles on the hands are rendered in exceptional detail, and each chunk of gold stands out amongst the sediment inside of the pan. 

The reverse of the Canadian Klondike features the familiar depiction of Queen Elizabeth. Like the Canadian Gold Maple, this coin depicts her with her pearl necklace and earrings. Both sides of the Canadian Klondike Gold Coin are equipped with textured backgrounds. 

Investing in Canadian Gold Coins

There are several ways to invest in Canadian Gold Coins. The Royal Canadian Mint offers a long list of gold coins for consumers to enjoy. Because of the rich history of the Royal Canadian Mint, as well as the high quality of their minting process and the purity of their gold coins, many investors consider this mint to be the gold standard for long-term investment. 

Price appreciation for Canadian Gold Coins comes down to two main factors. First, the gold purity of the coins is exceptionally high. This means that the Canadian Gold Coins sold by Hero Bullion will increase steadily in price as the value of gold rises. The spot-price of gold is constantly fluctuating, but some speculators argue that stagflationary signals suggest that gold is due for a significant increase in value. This might explain the increased public interest in gold investment that we’ve seen in the past couple of years. 

If you intend to invest in Canadian Gold Coins for their gold content alone, then the Canadian Klondike Gold Coin is likely your best bet. This coin offers .99999 pure gold bullion, which is easily the purest gold that you’re likely to find from a government mint. Because of the high purity, we also note that this piece is one of the most intricately designed gold coins we’ve come across. 

But Canadian Gold Coins might also be solid investment vehicles because of their collectability. While the Klondike Gold Coin is beautiful, there’s no denying the extensive history of collectability offered by the Canadian Gold Maple. The coin is an icon for a reason, after all. It’s tough to go wrong with any Canadian Gold Coin if you’re buying for collectable value. 

Where to Buy Canadian Gold Coins

It’s possible to buy Canadian Gold Coins from a number of distributors. Local sellers, including both coin dealers and pawn shops, might carry Canadian Gold Coins. However, we generally advise that new bullion collectors opt to do business with bigger, more established sellers. While the premium paid on Canadian Gold Coins might be higher if you buy from a licensed dealer, the peace of mind is well worth the price. 

One solid option for buying Canadian Gold Coins is to go straight to the source. You can actually buy the latest edition of most Canadian Gold Coins directly from the Royal Canadian Mint. Generally, buying straight from the mint will result in higher premiums, but will also guarantee that your coin is thoroughly checked for damages and shipped as carefully as possible to avoid blemishes in transit. 

Licensed online resellers like Hero Bullion also sell Canadian Gold Coins, including both the Canadian Gold Maple and the Canadian Klondike Gold Coin. We offer competitive premium costs, as well as a careful shipping process to guarantee that your coin arrives securely and without any kind of damage. 

While we know you want to be careful when buying your first Canadian Gold Coin, it’s tough for a new investor to go wrong with this kind of investment. The Canadian Royal Mint has earned its reputation as one of the leading government mints in the world, and cashing in on this prestige with a beautiful new gold coin is surely a solid decision. 

Final Thoughts: Canadian Gold Coins

Whether you choose to buy with us or from someone else, we are convinced that you’ll love nearly any coin you purchase from the line of bullion products offered by the Royal Canadian Mint. The mint’s long-standing reputation speaks for itself, and the coins coming out of the Royal Canadian Mint are revered by collectors all over the world for both their purity and their beauty. 

We’re always willing to do whatever it takes to help first-time customers make the best financial decision about gold that they can. Feel free to contact our customer service team if you have any questions about the Canadian Mint or the Canadian Gold Coins we sell.