1979 1 oz Canadian Gold Maple Leaf Coin

1979 1 oz Canadian Gold Maple Leaf Coin

The Royal Canadian Mint introduced the first 1 oz Gold Maple Leaf coin in 1979 with legal tender status and fineness of .999.

These coins aimed to be a private investment bullion coin, sharing the market with the South African Gold Krugerrands and the Austrian 100 Corona coins.

The debuting 1979 Gold Maple Leaf represents the kick-off of a successful coin collection. The Gold Maple Leaf series evolved regarding purity, anti-counterfeiting measures, and varied size options and became one of the best-selling gold bullion coins worldwide.

Coin Highlights

• Contains 1 oz of .999 fine gold;
• The debuting coin of the series;
• Holds legal tender status and a face value of CAD 50;
• Produced by the Royal Canadian Mint;
• The obverse showcases a young Queen Elizabeth II;
• The reverse features the Maple Leaf.

The Design

The obverse features the effigy of a 39-year-old Queen Elizabeth II, portrayed through Her right profile bust. The inscriptions that accompany the image read: “ELIZABETH II,” “50 DOLLARS,” and “1979,” referring to Her Majesty’s name, the coin’s face value, and the year of issuance.

The reverse design displays the maple leaf image, with the nation’s name arching over it, the coin’s purity of “999” flanking the leaf, and the description of weight and metal content at the bottom, in French and English, which read: “FINE GOLD 1 OZ OR PUR.”

Notice the debuting coin has a plain background surface. Radiation lines were included as part of the series’ security advances decades later.

Mintage

Gold Maple Leaf Coins premiered in 1979, weighing 1 Troy oz and a limited strike of 1,000,000 units.

It was a coin measuring 2.80 mm in thickness and 30 mm in diameter, with a fineness of .999 and a face value of CAD 50, fully backed by the Canadian government.

For the following two years, the one-ounce gold maple coins maintained these qualities.

In 1982, they were updated, elevating the coin’s purity to 99.99% and including fractional gold counterparts.

Buy 1979 1 oz Canadian Gold Maple Leaf Coins at SD Bullion

Purchase the 1979 1 oz Canadian Gold Maple Leaf Coins online from SD Bullion to elevate your gold coin collection.

Shop online or order through our service desk web chat feature or at 1(800)294-8732.