Platinum Canadian Maple Leafs

Like many other platinum coins throughout the world, the Canadian Platinum Maple Leaf is much younger than its gold counterpart and even younger than its silver counterpart.

However, in minting the Canadian Platinum Maple Leaf, the Royal Canadian Mint has created a beautiful and valuable coin worthy of the collection of both new and experienced collectors.

The Canadian Platinum Maple Leaf was first minted in 1988. During this first year and through 1992, the coin was offered in denominations of 1/10oz., 1/4oz., 1/2oz. and 1oz. Because the coins are legal tender, these coins had face values of $5, $10, $20, and $50, respectively.

In 1993, the Royal Canadian Mint introduced a Canadian Platinum Maple Leaf with a denomination of 1/20oz. This coin had a face value of $1. In 1994, a 1/15oz. coin was minted with a face value of $2, but this experiment only lasted a year. With the exception of the 1/15oz. coin in 1994, the lineup of denominations remained the same from 1993 until 2002. All of the coins in every denomination have a metal content of 99.95% platinum.

The rising price of platinum led to an overall decrease in demand for platinum and for the Canadian Platinum Maple Leaf. As a result, 2002 was the last year for regular minting of the Canadian Platinum Maple Leaf. The 2002 minting was unique in that only 500 sets of the coin were produced, but they were produced as hologram platinum coins. The Royal Canadian Mint decided to reintroduce the coin in 2009, but only in the 1oz. denomination.

The reverse of the coin features the maple leaf, an easily recognizable symbol of Canada and the namesake of the Canadian Platinum Maple Leaf. The obverse has had three designs throughout its brief run. From 1988-1989, the obverse featured a portrait of a 39 year-old Queen Elizabeth II. This was updated in 1990 to feature the Queen at her then current age of 64. This design lasted through 2002 and when the coin was reintroduced in 2009, the obverse featured a 79 year-old Queen.

If you’re interested in adding the Platinum Canadian Maple Leaf to your collection, contact United States Gold Bureau today and speak with one of our representatives to find out about our current inventory and prices.