Royal Canadian Mint introduces Mintshield to reduce white spots on its silver bullion coins

In what can only be welcome news to the myriad numbers of collectors of their bullion coins, the Royal Canadian Mint has announced a new technique to significantly reduce the appearance of the dreaded white spots. A difficult and not fully understood process, the formation of white spots has annoyed collectors for years, so here’s hoping this new technique will reduce the occurence of them in future. Details of the actual process are understandably under wraps, but it appears to be an invisible coating of some kind. More when (if) we know. Press release below.

MINTSHIELD™ SURFACE PROTECTION GIVES INVESTORS ONE MORE REASON TO BUY ROYAL CANADIAN MINT SILVER MAPLE LEAF BULLION COINS

OTTAWA, ONTARIO – FEBRUARY 2, 2018 – The Royal Canadian Mint is proud to announce that its researchers have developed a proprietary method for reducing the occurrence of white spots on silver bullion coins with a breakthrough innovation called MINTSHIELD™ surface protection. All 2018 Silver Maple Leaf bullion coins incorporate this new technology which, in addition to features such as BULLION DNA™ anti-counterfeiting technology, laser micro engraving and 99.99% purity, adds yet another layer of quality to one of the world’s favourite silver bullion coins.

“The Mint has a long history of revolutionizing the bullion industry with advances in purity and security, and MINTSHIELD™ is yet another exciting step in that direction,” said Sandra Hanington, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint. “By protecting the dazzling appearance of our Silver Maple Leaf bullion coins, our engineers have found a new way to bolster the world-wide appeal of our signature silver bullion product.”

White spots (also called “milk spots”) are surface discolorations which sometimes mar the appearance of silver bullion products. Unlike tarnishing, which is a by-product of oxidation, white spots don’t have a single, predictable cause and this has complicated the search for an effective solution to a problem affecting silver bullion coin producers all over the world. By reducing and delaying the onset of white spots on Silver Maple Leaf bullion coins with MINTSHIELD™ surface protection, the Royal Canadian Mint has finally turned the tables on this challenging issue.

Invisible to the eye, MINTSHIELD™ doesn’t alter a coin’s composition or purity and can be applied efficiently in a large-scale production environment. Laboratory testing, which simulates long-term use, has demonstrated that Silver Maple Leaf bullion coins treated with MINTSHIELDTM successfully resist white spotting compared to all other silver bullion products in the market. As of 2018, all Silver Maple Leaf bullion coins are enhanced with MINTSHIELDTM surface protection.

To learn more about MINTSHIELD™, visit www.mint.ca/mintshield or contact a registered Bullion DNA dealer near you.