[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”]
[et_pb_row admin_label=”row”]
[et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”]The History of the 1 oz Gold Maple Leaf Coin
The idea of a 1oz gold Maple Leaf coin was first was studied by Canadian government officials from as early as 1977. The motivation was that it would create a source of demand for Canadian mined gold and compete with South Africa’s 1oz gold Krugerrand coin.
In fact, the Canadian federal cabinet specified that the Maple Leaf had to be minted from gold mined within Canada.
Originally the Maple Leaf was planned to be minted on a three-year trial basis with a production of 5 million over 3 years, 1 million coins in 1979 and 2 million in each of 1980 and 1981. The Maple Leaf was aimed at both the international and Canadian markets with 4 million of the original 5 million planned production coins being targeted at the US and European markets, and within Europe, the West German market was earmarked for a 1.6 million allocation.
The Maple Leaf proved so popular that in 1981 the Canadian Government renewed legislation to continue production of the coin.
When the Maple Leaf was launched in 1979 it had a fineness of .999 or 99.9% gold. This was, at the time, the highest gold content of any bullion coin ever produced, since other gold coins were typically 22 karats, with a fineness of .9167. In 1982 the Royal Canadian Mint went one step further and improved the purity to a fineness of .9999 gold. All Gold Canadian Maple Leafs produced since 1982 are 99.99% pure gold.
Royal Canadian Mint – A Brief History
The Gold Maple Leaf is manufactured by one of the best-known mints in the world which is owned by one of the most natural resource rich countries in the world. The Canadian Government as owner of the Royal Canadian Mint guarantee the authenticity and purity of all Gold Maple Leafs produced by the Mint.
The Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) has operated as a Canadian Crown Corporation since 1969. It has an independent board of directors but is fully owned by the Canadian Government and operates under Canadian legislation.
Originally the RCM was a branch mint of the British Royal Mint when it first opened in Ottawa in 1908. The RCM produces circulating coinage for Canada and other countries at its Winnipeg branch and operates the world famous gold and silver refinery in Ottawa, where it produces high-quality bullion bars and coins.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column]
[/et_pb_row]
[/et_pb_section]
