Royal Canadian Mint

Royal Canadian Mint

The Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) is one of the most well-known mints in the world. With a rich history, iconic coin programs, and state-of-the-art security features, it’s easy to see why. While their most popular product, the Silver and Gold Maple Leaf Coins has always dominated the market, they also offer numerous other bullion products that are must-haves. Learn more about the Royal Canadian Mint and their products, right here at BGASC.

Background on the Royal Canadian Mint

The history of the RCM can be traced back to 1908, when it was established as a branch of the British Royal Mint. Prior to the founding of the RCM, all Canadian coins were struck in London. The first location was in Ottawa where it was made to turn gold into coinage. After two decades, the mint was transferred to the Canadian government.

In 1960, it was decided that the RCM needed another facility as the location in Ottawa was outdated. This state-of-the-art second branch was built in Winnipeg and opened in 1976.

Shortly after opening the Winnipeg location, the RCM created the Canadian Gold Maple Leaf, which has proven to be one of the most popular gold coins in the world.

They further made history in 2007 when they set a Guinness World Record for making the largest coin in the world. The coin was made with 100 kg of .99999 pure gold with a face value of $1 million (CAD).

Canadian Maple Leaf Series

By far, the most popular and well-known coin program issued by the Royal Canadian Mint is the Canadian Maple Leaf Series. Not only is this coin the official bullion coin of the country, but it’s one of the most popular annual releases on the market.

The overall series began in 1979 with the issuance of a gold coin. This marked the first gold bullion coin program available as an investment piece since the debut of the South African Gold Krugerrand. For the 10th year of release in 1988, the Canadian Silver Maple Leaf and Platinum Maple Leaf were added to the coin program, followed by a palladium coin in 2005.

The design of the reverse has remained the same since 1979, showing Walter Ott’s sugar maple leaf design. The obverse features the portrait of the reigning British monarch. Over the years, this has featured the following designs:

• 1979-1989: Queen Elizabeth II designed by Arnold Machin.
• 1990-2003: Queen Elizabeth II designed by Dore de Pedery-Hunt
• 2004-2023: Queen Elizabeth II designed by Susanna Blunt
• 2024-Present: King Charles III designed by Steven Rosati.

While silver, platinum, and palladium coins are issued in a 1 Troy oz size, gold coins are released in several weights such as 1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, 1/10 oz, 1/20 oz, and 1 gram.

BU gold and silver coins are available in protective plastic flips, sealed tubes, or sealed Monster Boxes from the mint. Silver and gold coins are also made with a .9999 purity.

Maple Leaf coins are also sporadically issued with privy marks to celebrate certain occasions, anniversaries, or events.

Other Popular Coin Programs

• Animal Portrait Series: This series debuted in 2017 and showcases portraits of popular animals found in North America. Coins are issued in both silver (3/4 Troy oz of .9999 silver) and gold (1/4 Troy oz of .9999 gold). Designs have featured the Bighorn Sheep (2017), Wolverine (2018), Wild Horse (2019), Woodland Caribou (2020), Great Horned Owl (2021), Moose (2022), and Lynx (2023).
• Ice Age Series: Among the newest coin programs from the RCM is the Ice Age Series. Coins are made from 2 Troy oz of .9999 silver. As the name suggests, the series features iconic animals from the Ice Age. Designs include the Smilodon Sabre-Tooth Tiger (2023) and the Woolly Mammoth (2024).
• Call of the Wild Series: This series strikes coins with a purity of .99999 gold. The coin program focuses on popular animals in North America such as the Howling Wolf (2014), Growling Cougar (2015), Roaring Grizzly (2016), Crowned Elk (2017), Golden Eagle (2018), Moose (2019), and the Bobcat (2020).

Gold and Silver Bars

The RCM also creates gold and silver bullion bars. The RCM is known to issue two types of bars, minted ingots and cast bars. Minted ingots are blanks (pieces of metal with no design elements) that are loaded into a machine and stamped with design elements using thousands of pounds of force. Cast bars meanwhile start as shot or ingots which are loaded into a mold. The mold is heated, and then cooled, before being stamped with design elements.

No matter which type of bar you purchase, the design elements from RCM bars are relatively similar. The logo, metal content, purity, and serial number are on the obverse. While cast bars are blank on the reverse, minted ingots will typically have a repeating pattern of the logo.

Questions about the Royal Canadian Mint

For any questions regarding the Royal Canadian Mint, contact the BGASC team today at 888-992-4272. Our team can also be reached via email, or through our online chat feature.