--- title: "Canadian Maple Leaf Gold Coin Designs, Specs & Significance" site: "Monex Precious Metals" domain: "https://www.monex.com/" type: "Knowledge Base Post" description: "Delve into the exceptional artistry and cultural significance behind the captivating designs of Canadian Maple Leaf gold coins. Read now." featured_image: "https://www.monex.com/wp-content/uploads/gold-maple-leaf-relection-kb.jpg.webp" last_updated: "January 30, 2024" canonical_url: "https://www.monex.com/knowledge/the-beauty-of-canadian-maple-leaf-gold-coin-designs/" markdown_url: "https://www.monex.com/knowledge/the-beauty-of-canadian-maple-leaf-gold-coin-designs.md" --- # The Beauty of Canadian Maple Leaf Gold Coin Designs ### The Iconic Maple Leaf Known for its vibrant autumn colors, the maple tree is a prominent species in the eastern Canadian landscape. While the tree itself was an invaluable part of the indigenous Canadians and early settlers’ lifestyle, the Canadian government did not officially adopt the maple leaf as its national symbol until 1965. Today, the maple leaf is synonymous with Canada, proudly adorning its currency, flag, military insignia, and countless aspects of Canadian culture. Since its introduction in 1979 through modern-day releases, the maple leaf has graced every version of the [Gold Maple Leaf Coin’s](/canadian-maple-leaf-gold-coins-for-sale/) reverse design with minimal changes to the original artist, Walter Ott’s, vision. It exemplifies Canada’s natural beauty, resilience, and unity, embodying the nation’s identity on both a domestic and international scale. As one of the world’s most widely recognized national symbols, the maple leaf was the clear and fitting choice for the Royal Canadian Mint to feature on its inaugural private investment gold coin. ### Reverse Inscriptions and Notable Security Features *Issuing country*: “CANADA” *Purity*: 999 (before 1982) or 9999 (after 1982) *Gold Content**: “FINE GOLD” (English), “1 OZ”, and “OR PUR” (French) *Gold content is denoted in both official languages of Canada, English and French. “Or Pur” is French for “Pure Gold.” *Security Enhancements*: As counterfeiting and theft became more prevalent, protecting the integrity of [Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coins](/canadian-maple-leaf-gold-coins-for-sale/) became the RCM’s top priority. Two state-of-the-art security enhancements were seamlessly incorporated into the coins’ existing design. In 2013, a laser-micro-engraved maple leaf with a hidden numeral was added to the back of the coins. This feature can only be seen under magnification. In 2015, radial lines were added to the background field on both sides of the coin, providing an additional layer of security. ### Why is Queen Elizabeth on Canadian Money? The answer is simple, albeit not widely understood – Canada is a constitutional monarchy. This means that the Queen (or King) of England is also the Monarch (and Head of State) of Canada. Although its constitutional framework outlines the distribution of responsibilities between the monarchy and the Canadian government, the Monarch’s powers are largely ceremonial, leaving the business of governing to Canada’s elected officials. The Queen’s presence on Canadian currency reflects this constitutional arrangement and a symbolic connection to the British Crown. Queen Elizabeth II has been represented on some form of Canadian currency since she was 8 years old, starting with a 1935 banknote. When Her Majesty took the throne in 1953, her likeness began to appear on Canadian coinage. The obverse side of all Canadian Maple Leafs, whether struck in gold, silver, platinum or palladium includes an artistic rendering of Queen Elizabeth II’s right profile. The Canadian Maple Leaf gold coin series has undergone three distinct changes representing Her Majesty at different ages: ### Obverse Inscriptions and Notable Features *Top Curve*: “ELIZABETH II” *Bottom Curve*: “50 DOLLARS” (Face Value) and Mintage Year The Maple Leaf Gold coin is legal tender in Canada under the Canadian Currency Act. ### Denominations, Limited Releases and Special Editions In addition to the flagship [1 oz Canadian Maple Leaf Gold Coin](/1-oz-canadian-maple-leaf-gold-coins-for-sale/), the Royal Canadian Mint released several denominations over the years including the 1/2 oz released in 1986, 1/4 oz and 1/10 oz coins released in 1982, and 1/20 oz variation released in 1993. While the design remained consistent across all fractional versions, the overall sizes vary. A 1/15 oz denomination was released in 1994 but only lasted one year in production due to lack of interest. Finally, the smallest coin in the series, the 1-gram Canadian Gold Maple Leaf, also known as the MapleGram, made its debut in 2014. Beginning in 2005 the Royal Canadian Mint occasionally released small runs of special edition Maple Leaf Gold coin with .99999 pure gold content. One of the latest releases happened in 2020 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Gold Maple Leaf coin series. This special release was notable for its exceptionally high level of purity and featured the classic Maple Leaf design on the reverse, along with a special privy mark celebrating the anniversary. Another special commemorative gold coin known as the “Big Maple Leaf” was released in 2007 with an impressive face value of one million dollars. This coin was created to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Canadian Gold Maple Leaf series and to showcase the Mint’s craftsmanship and technical capabilities. The Big Maple Leaf boasted a huge diameter of 50 cm (nearly 20 inches) and weighed approximately 100 kilograms. Only six of these coins were produced; however, one was stolen from a museum in Berlin and is thought to no longer be in existence. ### Buy Canadian Maple Leaf Gold Coins from Monex For more information on how to buy Canadian Gold Maple Leafs, [contact](/contact/) a Monex account representative at **800-444-8317**.