It’s fair to say here at AgAuNEWS that we do give off a little sigh every time another coin with a Maple Leaf on it appears for sale at the Royal Canadian Mints website. There are literally dozens of coin designs and formats released every year adorned with the Canadian national symbol and while it is a fine, well recognised symbol, you can’t help but think there aren’t many variations on the theme left to be explored. While that’s usually the case, the mint has excelled itself with the recent launch of a new batch.

The one-kilo gold and silver hologram coins are very nicely done, but we’ve seen hologram Maple coins before, namely a five-ounce coin launched back in March this year. This pair are definitely superior in our view, with a clean simplicity giving greater impact to some well designed leaves, the earlier coin being a little busy for our taste. With only 10 of the gold being struck, this could be the holy grail for Maple coin collectors. Prices of $2300 for the silver, and a hefty $69,000 for the gold will limit appeal, especially given the current spot prices of both precious metals.

Two coloured coins also appeared, one part of the annual silver proof set of circulating currency, and the other a rectangular 1½ oz ounce design. Both commemorate fifty years since the adoption of the Maple Leaf as the flag of Canada. The $1 coin is a good one, evoking an image of Canadian self identity, but the rectangular coin is a pedestrian affair, being more a simple record of the flags look.

The absolute stars here are the beautiful Maple Leaf Reflection pair. Carrying the same design, there are gold and silver versions available priced at $2700 and $100 CAD respectively. Depicting a Maple Leaf with one of its points just breaking the water enough to send out concentric ripples, upon which lays a reflection of the leaf, the design will surely be an instant classic. Micro-engraving and laser frosting have brought out a nice contrast to the scene and it’s a real success in our view. Only the overuse of text inscriptions in an attempt to enhance the sense of reflection is a drawback, and a minor one at that. This seems to be a popular design and rightly so.

MAPLE LEAF REFLECTIONS

No season announces its arrival quite as flamboyantly as autumn. Trees dress for the occasion, turning their leaves to vibrant yellows, reds and golds before tossing them into the air. Anyone living in the northern hemisphere is well acquainted with this annual tradition, and every year, the beauty of the spectacle lures people outdoors. Those who venture into the forest are treated to a close-up view of the stunning canopy overhead, dancing leaves drifting on the wind, and perhaps coming to rest on a babbling brook where they drift away like little boats, as if to ferry the forest’s tiniest residents to warmer climes. A fairy or two, perhaps?

This exceptional coin captures the moment when leaf and water meet. The leaf’s reflection is visible for a mere instant, as if to mock the fleeting nature of time. But on this coin, the reflection is a masterpiece that will last generations. It is incredibly detailed, every ripple shines—a stunning effect that has been achieved by applying micro engraving and laser frosting in a way that has never been done before.

Did you know?
• There are more than 150 different species of maple trees in the world; of the 13 species found in North America, 10 are native to Canada.
• While the maple leaf flag celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2015, the maple tree was only officially recognised as Canada’s national tree in 1996.
• The largest of Canada’s maple species is the bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) a tree which is found in the southwest area of coastal British Columbia and Vancouver Island.

DESIGN: Designed by Canadian artist Lilyane Coulombe, your coin features a natural scene with timeless appeal: here, a single maple leaf has fluttered down from a branch above onto the still waters below it. Canada’s beloved symbol is showcased in stunning detail thanks to finely detailed engraving that recreates the veins which run along its lobes. Gently piercing the water’s mirror-like surface, the tip of the leaf’s lobe has set off a wave of soft ripples; and yet the leaf’s micro-engraved reflection remains, bouncing with the water’s movement in a serene moment that would be all too brief–had it not been forever suspended in time with this coin.

DENOMINATION COMPOSITION WEIGHT DIAMETER FINISH MINTAGE BOX / COA
$20 CANADIAN 0.9999 SILVER 31.39 g 38.00 mm PROOF 8,500 YES / YES
$200 CANADIAN 0.9999 GOLD 31.16 g 30.00 mm PROOF 350 YES / YES

MAPLE LEAF FOREVER HOLO KILO

For over a hundred years, the mighty maple leaf has been used as a beloved symbol for Canada—one that has been immortalized in songs and artwork, and featured on everything from pins, badges and backpacks to banknotes and the flag. While several different maple species are native to Canada, the general outline of their leaves is instantly recognizable, and has become synonymous with national pride and identity. Celebrate one of Canada’s most beloved icons with this year’s stunning Maple Leaf Forever coin, which features two shimmering leaves from a silver maple (Acer saccharinum).

DESIGN: The reverse design by Canadian artist Celia Godkin features two silver maple (Acer saccharinum) leaves. With their five deeply divided lobes and dentate leaf margins, each silver maple leaf is an image of delicate natural beauty as one leaf lies superimposed over the other, their long petioles crossed, as though each had softly fallen to the ground on a beautiful autumn day. A struck hologram across the entirety of the engraved leaf’s undulating surface; allows natural light to be refracted from different angles as the coin is tilted from side to side, creating an iridescent rainbow effect that has been enhanced by the use of multiple polishes. The overall effect is an exquisite coin that is brimming with dynamic movement, dazzling colour and remarkable depth. The coin is encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint-branded wooden case with graphic beauty box.

DENOMINATION COMPOSITION WEIGHT DIAMETER FINISH MINTAGE BOX / COA
$250 CANADIAN 0.9999 SILVER 1000 g 102.10 mm PROOF 500 YES / YES
$2500 CANADIAN 0.9999 GOLD 1000 g 101.60 mm PROOF 10 YES / YES

ADVERTISEMENTS

icon
iconicon
iconicon
icon

50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE CANADIAN FLAG

No other symbol is as synonymous with Canada as its distinctive red-and-white flag. To Canadians at home and abroad, the red maple leaf unites us and instills a sense of belonging regardless of our different cultures, languages and beliefs. As the National Flag of Canada celebrates its 50th anniversary, the Royal Canadian Mint proudly pays tribute to a beloved national symbol by showcasing the flag on the annual Proof Silver Dollar.

DESIGN: Your coin brings together symbolic elements that reflect how the Canadian flag is perceived both at home and abroad. Occupying much of the image’s field, the famous red flag—its white centre square bearing the stylized red maple leaf—billows softly in the wind at full-mast atop a flagpole. Beneath it, a backpacker stands turned to the right and gazes at the horizon beyond a landscape that is a cross-section of Canada. This traveler’s journey highlights the freedom and opportunities offered by Canada to explore and grow, whether at home or abroad. And while the addition of a small Canadian flag on the backpack is a common practice for Canadian travelers, it also speaks to the respect and recognition this national symbol receives throughout the world. The flag’s 50th anniversary is highlighted with a symbolic ring of 50 maple leaves.

Did you know?
• The adoption of a national flag was proposed as far back as the late nineteenth century, but to no avail—that is, until the idea was raised again in 1964 by Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson.
• After much divisive debate, the National Flag of Canada was approved by Parliament in 1964. At the stroke of noon on February 15, 1965, the Canadian Red Ensign (Canada’s previous flag) was lowered on Parliament Hill and replaced by the National Flag of Canada!
• The official way to describe the flag is by explaining it as a red flag with a white square in its centre, which is adorned with a red maple leaf.
• The design is symmetrical—if you fold the flag from one red edge to the other, both halves should be the same!
• The maple leaf has long been used as a symbol for this country; meanwhile, red and white were featured prominently in the Canadian coat of arms, as proclaimed by King George V in 1921. Official flag etiquette requires that the National Flag of Canada never touch the ground.

With its bright red maple leaf, the famous red-and-white flag stands as a proud symbol for Canadians. As our national banner, it speaks of our sense of belonging to a broader community, one that is a growing, vibrant mosaic of different cultures, languages and beliefs! It also represents our history and our identity within the international community as we work together to shape a future for ourselves, and for generations to follow. On the 50th anniversary of the National Flag of Canada, celebrate this iconic symbol with a uniquely shaped coin that mirrors the flag’s own rectangular outline.

DESIGN: The reverse design features the unmistakable Canadian Flag, with the iconic maple leaf as the centre focal point. The beautiful engraving is richly enhanced by the use of red and white enamel that recreate the flag’s distinctive colours.

Special features:
•    A FIRST! This is the first rectangular-shaped 1.5 oz coin with enamel to be issued by the Royal Canadian Mint.
•    To further mark the 50th anniversary of the National Flag of Canada, your coin includes the engraved English and French words “50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE CANADIAN FLAG /
50e ANNIVERSAIRE DU DRAPEAU CANADIEN,” the face value “50 dollars” and the commemorative dates “1965-2015”.
•    A one-of-a-kind coin celebrates the 50th anniversary of Canada’s flag with a unique shape that mimics the flag’s own rectangular outline.
•    Vibrant red and bright white enamel have been meticulously applied to each coin to recreate the famous colours of Canada’s flag.
DENOMINATION COMPOSITION WEIGHT DIAMETER FINISH MINTAGE BOX / COA
$1 CANADIAN 0.9999 SILVER 23.17 g 36.07 mm PROOF 20,000 SET
$50 CANADIAN 0.9999 SILVER 47.34 g 49.8 x 28.8 mm PROOF 10,000 YES / YES
iconicon