Canadian Gold Coins are among the most coveted and highly prized coins in the world. This post is designed to give people a lay of the land when it comes to collecting or investing in Canadian Gold Coins.
Canada has produced some of the most beautiful and soughtafter gold coins in the world and it’s no wonder why this is a market thatcontinues to grow.
Gold coins are popular collector items for 2 reasons: 1. they have numismatic value to collectors based on a coins rarity and condition; and 2. they have the underlying bullion value of the gold.
Related Investing In Gold
The Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) is famous for producing the finest and purest gold coins in the world. At 0.99999 pure, there’s nothing else on the market like it, which is why Canadian Gold Coins are highly sought after as investments too. The purity, rarity and quality of these coins make them a win-win with both, collectors and investors alike.
The Largest Gold CoinEver Made was a Canadian Gold Coin
Image via Royal Canadian Mint
In 2007, the RCM created the largest coin on the planet when it made a 100 kg, 0.99999 pure gold coin with a face value of 1 million dollars! The coin is a whopping 3215 troy ounces with a bullion value of over $4 million dollars!
Incredibly, 5 of these coins have been sold to collectorsaround the world. In March 2017, one ofthese coins was stolen from the display at the Bode Museum in Germany.
Newfoundland GoldCoins
Image via Wikipedia
Gold purity: 0.917 gold, 0.083 copper
Weight: 3.33 grams
Between 1865 and 1888, Newfoundland (then a British colony) issuedits own 2-dollar gold coins. Nearly allof these coins were minted in London, but the Heaton Mint produced the 1882run. A combined total of nearly 100,000coins of all dates were produced. The lowestmintage and rarest of the bunch is the 1880 with only 2,500 minted.
Gold Sovereigns
Image via Numisbids
Gold purity: 0.917 gold, 0.083 copper
Weight: 7.99 grams
From 1908 to 1919, the Ottawa Mint produced Gold Sovereigns for the British Royal Mint. A Gold Sovereign is a British one-pound coin.
The Sovereigns produced in Ottawa have a “C” mint mark to designate them as having been made in Canada. The rarest of this series of coins is the 1916 C. Only 50 of these coins are known to exist today and are highly prized by collectors.
Canadian GoldCirculation Coins 1912-1914
Image via RCM
$5 Denomination
Gold purity: 0.90 gold, 0.10 copper
Weight: 8.36 grams (0.24 oz)
$10 Denomination
Gold purity: 0.90 gold, 0.10 copper
Weight: 16.72 grams (0.48 oz)
From 1912 until 1914, the RCM produced denominations of $5and $10 gold coins. These highlycollectible coins were removed from circulation at the outbreak of World War1. I picked up a couple of these whenthe RCM released their hoard back in 2012.
What follows is some background information about these coins from the RCM:
“The Canadian Branch of Britain’s Royal Mint opened in Ottawa in January 1908 for the purpose of producing circulation Canada’s circulation coinage, as well as to finally refine Canada’s growing gold resources on domestic soil for conversion into Canadian dollar-denominated coins.
This part of the Mint’s mandatewas realized from 1912 to 1914, when $5 and $10 gold coins proudly displayingnational symbols were produced in the same Ottawa facility where the RoyalCanadian Mint continues to refine and produce world-class gold coins andinvestment products.
Made of 90% pure Canadian gold,much of it from the Klondike region (1912) and Ontario (1913-14), and 10%copper, the reverse side of these first Canadian gold coins featured theinscription “CANADA” above a shield bearing the Arms of the Dominion of Canadain a wreath of maple leaves, beneath which appeared their year of issue andface value. The obverse bore the effigy of the newly crowned SovereignKing George V.
Our short-lived experience with a domestic gold currency was abruptly ended by the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 as the Government of Canada recovered the majority of circulating $5 and $10 coins and withheld remaining stocks from circulation to help finance the war effort.”
Royal Canadian Mint GoldCollector Coins
1967 Centennial Gold Coin
Image via Coins Home
Gold purity: 0.90 gold, 0.10 copper
Weight: 18.27 grams (0.529 Tr oz)
To commemorate Canada’s centenary in 1967, the RCM produceda series of commemorative coins for circulation. The design of those coins featured Canadiananimals:
1-cent: Dove
5-cent: Rabbit
10-cent: Mackerel
25-cent: Bobcat
50-cent: Howling Wolf
1 dollar: Canada Goose
These coins were also offered in special collector sets. The gold presentation set featured a special$20 gold coin as well as the other denominations in specimen finish.
1976 Montreal OlympicGold Coins
To celebrate the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, the RCM beganproducing a variety of commemorative coins, including 2 types of gold coins.
22-karat image via coinshome
14-karat image via goldguyscanada
As you can see from the above scans, both coins are nearly identical and they both were given the $100 denomination. But there is a big difference in the gold purity between the two.
One coin is 14 karat gold and was sold in a cardboard envelope with a clear plastic window. The other was sold in a leather presentation case and is 22 karat.
The main distinguishing feature on the coin themselves is the presence of beads on the reverse side of the 14-karat coin.
$100 Gold Coins1977-Present
Image via apmex
1977-1986 Gold purity: 0.917 gold, 0.083 copper; Weight: 17.13grams (0.549 Tr oz)
1987-present Gold purity: 0.583 gold; Weight: 13.34 grams(0.428 Tr oz)
Image via cdncoin.com
The RCM produced a 22-karat gold coin with a face value of $100from 1977 until 1986. From 1987 topresent, the $100 RCM coin is minted in 14-karat gold.
$200 Gold Coins 1990-Present
Image via Coins Home
The RCM began minting gold coins with a face value of $200 from1990 to present. As far as Canadian GoldCollector coins go, in my opinion, none are more desirable than the 22-karat 1997Haida Raven Bringing Light to the World.This coin is absolutely beautiful and is highly prized by collectors.
RCM Gold BullionCoins
1979-Present CanadianGold Bullion Maple Leaf Coins
Image via RCM
The RCM has been producing the iconic gold maple leaf for 40years. These coins have a purity of0.9999 fine gold and are available in the following denominations:
$50: 1 ounce
$20: 1/2 ounce
$10: 1/4 ounce
$5: 1/10 ounce
$1: 1/20 ounce
$0.50: 1/25 ounce
Where to Buy Gold Coins?
For our precious metals we use Silver Gold Bull because they price match and offer fast, insured, delivery.
Do You Have Any Rare Coins? What Are They Worth?
***Do you have some coins that you think might be worth some money? I get lots of questions about various coins. Search for them using the search box at the top right hand side of this website.***
For more information about Canadian coins check out these titles from Amazon:
James A. Haxby’s A Guide Book of Canadian Coins
M. Drake’s Canadian Coin Guide: 2019 Charlton Coin Guide 58th Ed.
Protect and Preserve Your Coins
It’s no secret that the most valuable coins are ones that are well preserved. I highly recommend using the individualized 2×2 coin holder. I’ve used them for years for my own coins and they can be kept in a special coin album.
See my other articles on rare coins and investing in coins:
Top 10 Rare Canadian Coins
Rare Canadian Quarters
Top 10 Rare Canadian Nickels
Top 10 Rare Canadian Pennies
Investing in Rare Coins
Top 10 Rare U.S. Coins
Modern Rare Canadian Coins
The Thousand Dollar Bill
Rare Victorian Quarters
Top Photo Credit: Image via Canadian Coin and Currency
Thanks for reading this post on Canadian Gold Coins.
