Maple Leaf 1 oz gold coin - various years

The gold Maple Leaf coins were first introduced in 1979. At the time the only bullion coin produced was the Krugerrand, which was not widely available because of the economic boycott of apartheid-era South Africa. Today, Maple Leaf rank among the world’s most popular pure gold coins, having sold more than 25 million troy ounces. They were also the first bullion coins to achieve the heightened standard of 999.9/1000 pure.
Since its launch, the design of the coin remained the same each year and shows on the obverse the profile of Queen Elizabeth II and the Canadian Maple Leaf on the reverse. Only the year of issue changes accordingly.
In 2013, a new and unique security feature was introduced that consists of a textured maple leaf, microengraved with laser technology on a small area of the reverse side (Maple Leaf side) of the coin. In the centre of this mark, a numeral denoting the coin’s year of issue is visible.
Again, new security features were introduced in 2015. Radial lines replaced the bullion finish on earlier coins. The uniqueness of the line width and pitch give the Maple Leaf a characteristic look and create a light diffracting pattern that is specific to this coin.
The golden Maple Leaf coins are available in different sizes – 1 gramme, 1/25 oz, 1/20 oz, 1/10 oz, ¼ oz, ½ oz, and 1 oz.
A silver Maple Leaf weighing 1 oz is available since 1988.