The Royal Canadian Mint’s Canadian Maple Leaf Series of bullion coins is an unquestioned leader in the precious metals industry. Introduced before the vast majority of other modern silver and gold bullion coins, the Canadian Maple Leaf coins are easily recognizable with their continuous use of the sugar maple leaf design and the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II on the design faces of the coin. More importantly, in recent years the Royal Canadian Mint has unveiled a variety of enhanced security features to help curtail counterfeiting efforts around the world.

The 2018 Canadian Maple Leaf coin series includes a special anniversary for one of the metals and the introduction of the mint’s new Bullion DNA program. Take a moment to revisit the Canadian Maple Leaf collection and learn about the new security features of the coins.

Bullion DNA

There’s no genetic coding in these 2018 Canadian Maple Leaf Coins, but there is a new digital non-destructive activation (DNA) technology used with each die used to strike silver and gold bullion coins. First and foremost, only the 2018 1 oz Canadian Silver Maple Leaf and 2018 1 oz Canadian Gold Maple Leaf are available with Bullion DNA. So, how does the process work?

Each of the individual die used to strike these weights of the Silver and Gold Maple Leaf coins features the laser, micro-engraved maple leaf privy that has a textured finish and the year of issue in the center. The registration process adopted with Bullion DNA captures the image of the individual coins, encrypts it with a string of code, and then stores that code in the RCM’s secure database. Why does this matter?

Gold and silver bullion investors can rest easy knowing that Bullion DNA gives them an added layer of validation for their product purchases. This visual form of authentication adds peace of mind. Of course, all 2018 Canadian Maple Leaf coins also feature the security aspects introduced in 2014. The radial lines, which diffract light on the surfaces to combat counterfeiting as well, are featured in the background of all coins in the silver and gold series.

A Design for the Ages

Like the American Eagle collection and the British Britannia coins, the Royal Canadian Mint uses the same obverse and reverse designs for the Canadian Maple Leaf coins each year. While the American Eagle Series features differing depictions of the bald eagle and Lady Liberty across the various precious metals used, the Royal Canadian Mint sticks to the same design of the sugar maple leaf and Queen Elizabeth II on all coins.

The obverse of all 2018 Canadian Maple Leaf coins features the image of Queen Elizabeth II. Her Majesty has been the monarch of the United Kingdom and its commonwealth nations since 1952 when her father passed away and she ascended to the throne. Coins in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and other nations immediately began integrating an effigy of the Queen on the obverse of coins.

For Canadian-issue coins, the Royal Canadian Mint is on its fourth-generation depiction of Queen Elizabeth II. This design captures Her Majesty in right-profile relief and was designed in 2003 by Canadian artist Susanna Blunt. This depiction is just the third to appear on Canadian Maple Leaf coins, which previously featured the second-generation design (1979-1990) and the third-generation design (1990-2002). Blunt’s design is just the second to come from a Canadian artist, and the first to feature the Queen without a crown. Elizabeth II took after her father in this regard, as King George VI was depicted in left-profile relief throughout his reign without a crown.

On the reverse of the 2018 Canadian Maple Leaf coins you’ll find the iconic sugar maple leaf. The maple leaf has long been the symbol of Canada, from its early days as a French colonial outpost in North America through British control and the Confederation movement which launched in 1867. Today, the maple leaf appears on the national flag in the center with a bright red coloration. The sugar maple leaf tree, Acer saccharum, is a maple species native to hardwood forests of eastern Canada from Nova Scotia through Quebec, and into southern Ontario and southeastern Manitoba. The trees are also prominent in the northern regions of the Central and Eastern United States, stretching from Minnesota eastward into the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern states.

The sugar maple leaf features in the center of the design field, with the nation of issue engraved above it and the purity (.9999 for silver and gold) listed on either side of the leaf. Along the bottom are the engravings of the weight and metal content. Sugar maple leaf trees are well known for their bright fall foliage and production of maple syrup. It is on the reverse face of 2018 Canadian Maple Leaf gold and silver 1 oz coins where you’ll find the maple leaf privy with year of issue mark, “18” visible only under magnification.

Details on the 2018 release

Right now, JM Bullion features the 2018 Canadian Silver Maple Leaf and 2018 Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coins for presale. The coins are available with .9999 pure silver or .9999 pure gold, and have face values dependent upon the metal content and weight. For the Silver Maple Leaf, the coins are available only in a 1 oz weight and have a face value of $5 (CAD) backed by Canada’s federal government. Silver Maple Leaf coins arrive in protective plastic for individual coins, mint tubes of 25 coins, or Monster Boxes of 500 coins (packaged in 20 tubes of 25).

For the 2018 Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coins, there is greater diversity with the 1 oz coin accompanied by four fractional weights of ½ oz, ¼ oz, 1/10 oz, and 1/20 oz. The 1 oz gold coin has a face value of $50 (CAD) and is available either in protective plastic flips, mint tubes of 10 coins, or Monster Boxes of 500 coins (50 tubes of 10). For the fractional weights, the details break down as follows:

• 2018 ½ oz Canadian Gold Maple Leaf: Face value of $20 (CAD) and packaging of individual plastic flips or plastic sheets of 10 coins.
• 2018 ¼ oz Canadian Gold Maple Leaf: Face value of $10 (CAD) and packaging of individual plastic flips or plastic sheets of 20 coins.
• 2018 1/10 oz Canadian Gold Maple Leaf: Face value of $5 (CAD) and packaging of protective plastic flips or plastic sheets of 40 coins.
• 2018 1/20 oz Canadian Gold Maple Leaf: Face value of $1 (CAD) and packaging of protective plastic flips or plastic sheets of 40 coins.

On a final note for the 2018 Canadian Maple Leaf coins, the 2018 1 oz Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coin marks its 30^th anniversary release in 2018! The silver coin was introduced in 1988 by the Royal Canadian Mint, nearly a decade after the 1979 issue of the Canadian Gold Maple Leaf. Today, the Canadian Silver Maple Leaf is behind only the American Silver Eagle in terms of popularity and sales figures in most years.

Background on the Royal Canadian Mint

Originally founded in 1908, the Royal Canadian Mint has today grown to become one of the world’s preeminent sovereign mints. The growth of Canada as a nation in its own right, combined with the discovery of gold and other precious metals in the Yukon Territories, eventually facilitated the need for the nation to have its own mint. The Royal Canadian Mint operated for nearly 70 years with only its original Ottawa coining facility. In 1976, a secondary mint location opened in Winnipeg, nearly 16 years after the government was advised of a need to expand capacity. The Royal Canadian Mint strikes more than 1 billion coins annually, including its silver and gold bullion coins as well as sovereign currency for other nations such as New Zealand.

Stay in Touch with JM Bullion

The 2018 Canadian Maple Leaf coins are now available online from JM Bullion for presale, with coins expected to arrive in December 2018. You can buy now, or follow JM Bullion on Facebook to find out when the latest coin releases arrive and new blog posts go up each week!