When most people think of Canadian gold or silver coins, the first thing that comes to mind is the Maple Leaf. Indeed, this collection of coins is the nation’s most popular, and below are some reasons why they recently received new packaging.

Investors Were Unhappy With The Original Packaging

Although the Maple Leaf is one of the world’s most popular coins, investors weren’t thrilled with the original packaging that was used by the Royal Canadian Mint. The golden Maple Leaf was first introduced in 1979, and the silver Maple Leaf followed in 1988.

Since their inception, the one ounce golden Maple Leafs was packaged at ten coins per tube. Since these coins are made from twenty four karat gold which is pure, they are softer than alloyed coins like the South African Krugerrand or American Gold Eagle. Additionally, since the coins were placed in tubes which had a tight fit, they were difficult to take out, inspect and put back in without scratching them.

In fact, studies found that not only was it difficult to reinsert the coins without scratching, it was almost impossible. Many customers didn’t recognize the problem until their coins had already sustained considerable damage. The gold Maple Leafs display Queen Elizabeth II’s image in front, with a clear, flat field nearby. The back of the coin displays an image of the maple leaf, after which the coin is named. The problem is that the coin has milled edges which are quite sharp, and whenever the coins are put inside the tube, these milled edges will frequently scratch the fields.

Some Investors Also Heft The Coins

Investors will sometimes heft the coins to see how they feel. When they place 4 or 5 gold coins in their palms and then clang them, this can cause serious damage. If the golden Maple Leaf is dropped, it is very likely that rim damage will be sustained.

Maple Leafs are popularly sold on secondary markets, but physical damage has become so common that the coins have lost prestige among some investors. For instance, a lot of wholesalers will only bid “melt” for the Maple Leafs, irrespective of the condition. This means that the wholesalers will only pay melt so that the coins can be profitably resold for jewelry or industrial purposes if they can’t find coin buyers.

How The Royal Canadian Mint Fixed The Problem

The Royal Canadian Mint addressed the problem by encapsulating every one ounce Gold Maple Leaf in plastic which is suspended inside the center of plastic cards, similar to their one ounce golden bars. The difference is that the plastic used to protect the Maple Leafs will be much more durable and heavier. Another important change that was made is that the Maple Leafs will now ship as twenty five coins per box, instead of ten per tube. This change is designed to boost sales since twenty coins are standard ordering units when purchasing gold bullion.