Thursday, July 21, 2011

2011 1/2 Oz Maple Leaf Forever

Just got this one today. This was the first day it was released by the Royal Canadian Mint and I went and bought one as soon as possible.

As you can see, the coin is a slightly different take on the Silver Maple Leaf coins that we know and love. Instead of a single leaf we can see three maple leaves on a branch. Another difference from the usual is that this coin is half the size (1/2 Oz.) and twice the value ($10). Pretty nice coin I must say. Here is how the designer describes the coins:

Three leaves of northeastern Canada's important Sugar Maple on the reverse. Prized as the world's best source of sap for maple syrup, this iconic Canadian tree is also widely revered for the stunning spectrum of its foliage coloration in autumn, which varies from bright yellows, reds, and oranges to the deepest purple.


I expect this coin to go fast. The mintage was limited to 100,000 coins and considering how inexpensive it is (being only a 1/2 ounce coin). Just look at the past smaller coins they have released, like the 1/2 Oz. Wolf coin, and they always sell at a huge premium. Earlier this year the mint released a $20 1/4 Oz. silver coin and it flew off the shelves, so that is why I didn't wait at all to get this coin. In general, any limited mintage Silver Maple Leaf coin is going to sell fast.

Here is what the included certificate says:

2011 $10 Fine Silver Coin
Maple Leaf Forever

From backpackers in Berlin to peacekeepers in Pakistan, Canadians are immediately identifiable by a singular image they faithfully sport on pins, badges and appliques: the red maple leaf.

This lyrical cipher has symbolized Canada and Canadians for nearly three hundred years. Historians generally recognize the adoption of the maple leaf by Quebec's Societe Saint-Jean-Baptiste in Montreal in 1836 as the first official use of the symbol to represent an element of Canadian culture.

The symbol was soon popularized in print, song and in the small markers - such as lapel pins - with which Canadian residents of various origins honoured their homelands. The English had their roses, the Scots their thistle, the Irish their shamrocks, and the French their fleur-de-lis - and native-born Canadians quickly chose the prosaic maple leaf.

The idea of including the maple leaf on Canada's national flag took root with Lester B. Pearson in World War I, when he noted that every Canadian battalion had included some form of the maple leaf in its insignia. Fifty years later, in 1965, under his leadership as prime minister, Canada's famous red-and-white maple leaf flag was born.

In addition to the maple leaf's presence on various provincial flags and coats of arms, the country's coinage has featured maple leaves, wreaths, and boughs in various forms for most of Canada's history. In fact, the maple leaf was present on all Canadian coins from 1876 to 1901. Since that time, it has always appeared on Canadian pennies.


Here is a video of the coin:

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