Canadian Maple Leaf Silver Coins
The Canadian Silver Maple Leaf is a series of silver bullion coins issued by Canada. It has a static design every year and mostly comes in 1 troy oz of silver. Variation for this coin includes proof (1989 only), privy marks, coloured maple leaf (has a different design than regular maple leaf) and holographic enhancement (5 Coin Set – 1 oz, ½ oz, ¼ oz, 1/10 oz, 1/20 oz). A single-issue 10 oz version was produced in 1998 to mark the 10th anniversary of the coin series. The face value of the 1 oz coin is 5 Canadian Dollars, the highest among other silver bullions. During the month of February, 2008, the market value of the coin was approximately 20 Canadian dollars. The purity of the coin is 99.99% silver, also the highest among other bullions which have a 99.90% standard. The program started in 1988 and is on-going today.
In 1999, all Silver Maple Leaf coins that were issued came with a Privy Mark to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the Maple Leaf program. The following year, all coins for the year 2000 featured a Privy Mark with Fireworks and the number 2000. Another Silver Maple Leaf was issued to commemorate the Millennium. These coins were produced for January 1, 2000 and the Privy Mark consisted of Fireworks as well. The coins were double dated 1999 and 2000. The coin is struck by the Royal Canadian Mint.
According to the Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian Coins (62nd edition, 2007), standard Silver Maple Leafs differ from their Gold and Platinum counterparts in generating collector demand, with the 1996 and 1997 mintings in particular fetching higher prices due to limited pressings (for example, just under 101,000 for the 1997 Maple Leaf compared with more than 1.2 million pressed of the 1999 edition).
The Silver Maple Leaf is legal tender. The face value is 5 Canadian dollars. The market value of the metal varies, depending on the spot price of silver. The 99.99% silver content makes the coin among the finest official bullion coins worldwide. The standard version has a weight of 1 troy ounce (31.10 grammes).
The Silver Maple Leaf's obverse and reverse display, respectively, the profile of Elizabeth II and the Canadian Maple Leaf. In 2014, new security features were introduced: radial lines and a micro-engraved laser mark.