Heroes of Silver: The Maple Leaf

[silversword]

Part 2 in the "heroes of silver" series, we turn our attention to that often maligned bargain-bucket offering, the 1oz silver Maple, minted by Royal Canadian Dairies The Royal Canadian Mint since 1988 and something of a rarity in that it's fineness is 99.99% pure, rather than the accepted 99.9% standard.

Since the first minting, the silver coins, like their gold and platinum counterparts, have featured the Canadian national symbol of the maple leaf on the reverse, and a succession of questionable portraits of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse. Although the basic design has remained more or less constant over the coin's life, there have been several variations, with - to date - 3 different portraits of the Queen, and a variety of special editions such as the recent 25th Anniversary issue in 2013 which followed the pattern of an anniversary release every five years. In that time we have also seen proof versions, colourised, gilded, and hologrammed varieties, and privy editions to mark the ubiquitous Chinese Zodiac calendar. The 2014 release introduces new counterfeit-protective radial lines and a micro-engraved laser mark to combat forgery as the coin shows every sign of increasing popularity.

 

Mintages are high, with an average of 20 million minted every year in recent times. The ready availability keeps prices low and makes the maple a mainstay for budget-conscious bullion stackers, whilst the variations offer something for collectors too. 

 

Another plus point for the maple is it's face value, with a generous $5 dollars comparing well against the Philharmonic's €1.50 or the Silver Eagle's miserly $1. Although unlikely to ever be used as a circulating coin, its worth remembering these are still legal tender in Canada and you never know what might happen to currencies in the future.

 

It would be wrong to talk about the maple without mentioning milk spots of course. A number of coins suffer from this pervasive problem, but RCM coins have - fairly, it must be said - garnered a reputation for being most prone to developing milky blemishes in great numbers. This should not be off-putting to pure stackers, because,well silver is still silver, and secondly because those milk spots do tend to indicate the coin's authenticity. As a collector, well, don't just buy the one - you want a couple to stand a chance of having a pristine version. And keep them airtight. And pray. Because an unblemished Maple is still a coin of great beauty, and deserves a place in everyone's collection

 

Watch the Canadian Mint hard at work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh7X2T6p7io 

 

 

[Ares]

Great coin it's just a god awful shame about the Achilles heel we all know about. Would probably be one of my favourites if not for that.

[Danny-boy]

Lovely write-up SS, very informative.

Is this an ongoing series, I hope so as it's a valuable forum resource for novice stackers.

[HighlandTiger]

Give me your milky maples................I have the (liquid) solution to sort them out

 

I've just re-checked my 19 Maples. Not a single one with milkspots.  Now why is that.....?

[Ares]

But would you advertise them as cleaned coins when you sell 'em on?

[HighlandTiger]

But would you advertise them as cleaned coins when you sell 'em on?

 

"Genuine Uncirculated Bullion, 0.999 Silver 1oz. Great Condition - No Milk Spots"

[Ares]

So you wouldn't say they've been cleaned then?

[silversword]

Lovely write-up SS, very informative.

Is this an ongoing series, I hope so as it's a valuable forum resource for novice stackers.

 

I could make it one...

[HighlandTiger]

So you wouldn't say they've been cleaned then?

 

Did I miss the entry in the Coin Collectors Rule Book?

 

Not sure which law it is that I have broken that says "THOU SHALT NOT CLEAN ANY COIN, ESPECIALLY IF IT IS A MODERN BULLION COIN WHICH HAS BEEN CREATED SOLELY AS A MEANS TO COLLECT SILVER AS AN INVESTMENT  -  ON PAIN OF DEATH"

 

 

 

As I've said before, if it is a coin that its original purpose was to be used in general circulation as a method of buying goods then those coins should remain as they are.

 

HOWEVER, these bullion coins are nothing more than easy to buy silver rounds masquerading as coins, hence the reason the face value is ALWAYS lower than it's intrinsic value. I have no problem removing any blemishes / milk spots / fingerprints etc that I discover on them  

 

And to answer your question, no I probably wouldn't mention it, because I don't think I'd need to. I wouldn't tell people that I had transfered the coin from a tube to a capsule to a coin holder to an album . Nor would i tell them I used white gloves to give them a quick wipe to get rid of the dust. Nor would I tell them that I'd used a jewellers cloth to get rid of a slight toning mark. Nor would I tell them that I used the Queens own silver polish to get rid of unsightly marks that the mint should have got rid of before selling it in the first place.

[CurryMuncher69]

Coins Should be in this new Series, Noah Arks, Chinese Panda, Mexican Libertad, American Eagle, Maybe Perth Mint kooks, koala'z and Lunar series

I find it shocking that the most expensive place to buy UK MINTED SILVER I.E Britannia's is in the bloody uk. I can 1.5 oz of silver for for the price of 1 Britannia, 

I.E A maple or philharmonic, and a half oz shark. 

 

[Pipers]

To me the Silver maple is just for stacking, no more no less.

[craig12]

I thought on you tube the stackers got the milk spots off with a simple pencil eraser

[ChrisSilver]

Highland tiger, I know we have had this argument before. But I believe as a seller you have a duty to declare if a coin has been cleaned or not. Then it is the buyers decision if this fact is relevant or not.

To me I see it as misrepresentation by omission.

But hey, at least your being honest about the fact that in a listing you wouldn't admit that your coins had been cleaned.

[ChrisSilver]

Very nicely written article silversword. I hope we see more articles to come

[HighlandTiger]

Highland tiger, I know we have had this argument before. But I believe as a seller you have a duty to declare if a coin has been cleaned or not. Then it is the buyers decision if this fact is relevant or not.

To me I see it as misrepresentation by omission.

But hey, at least your being honest about the fact that in a listing you wouldn't admit that your coins had been cleaned.

 

The thing is Chris, that the only coins I've cleaned are the maples, and that has been the two i had with a hint of milk spots. My other 17 are the same as i recieved them. I honestly think the way I store my coins is much better at preventing milk spots.(coin holders as opposed to capsules) And so far the evidence I can see with my own eyes and what i hear from you guys convinces me even more. BUT........when it comes to selling in 15-30 years time, I won't be selling them on ebay one at a time, they will probably be sold to a dealer in a job lot. And I can guarantee that dealer won't be bothered about cleaned coins or not. 

 

 

ps. If Ebay sellers start declaring on their auctions that "This coin has not been cleaned", then I may change my stance. After all is that not "misrepresentation by admission" also. Not everyone in the world knows the unwritten code of numisologists where cleaning coins is a hanging offence. 

[Ares]

Very nicely written article silversword. I hope we see more articles to come

Agreed, looking back at my 2013 Maple it hasn't spotted as of yet in its capsule and I entirely agree with the premise that it's a really good looking coin.

Very much look forward to other entries in the series.

[StackemHigh]

The thing is Chris, that the only coins I've cleaned are the maples, and that has been the two i had with a hint of milk spots. My other 17 are the same as i recieved them. I honestly think the way I store my coins is much better at preventing milk spots.(coin holders as opposed to capsules) And so far the evidence I can see with my own eyes and what i hear from you guys convinces me even more. BUT........when it comes to selling in 15-30 years time, I won't be selling them on ebay one at a time, they will probably be sold to a dealer in a job lot. And I can guarantee that dealer won't be bothered about cleaned coins or not. 

 

 

ps. If Ebay sellers start declaring on their auctions that "This coin has not been cleaned", then I may change my stance. After all is that not "misrepresentation by admission" also. Not everyone in the world knows the unwritten code of numisologists where cleaning coins is a hanging offence. 

 

If what HT is saying in this post is true. Then what he said in the post  "the morgan dollar thread" is untrue!

 

It is good to know that if HT does sell in 15-30 years it won't be a stacker / collector that will be buying tampered with Maple Leaf jank.

[Cointreau]

One or two of you might have called yourselves the 'Silver Purist'. Thou must not defile the silver!

I say kill the milk spots where ever they appear.

HT, numisologist is a fake word. Don't be selling it to us.

[StackemHigh]

I thought on you tube the stackers got the milk spots off with a simple pencil eraser

 

Stackers wouldn't be worried about removing milk spots.

 

The Stacker only buys silver to stack as a wealth store, not as a silver to looked at and admire.

 

Various types of collectors out there for all different reasons but a person with a great £/oz ratio and a large number different of oz wouldn't be classed as a stacker more of a mash stacker/collector.

 

Each and everyone has their right to tamper with their silver as they see fit, I'll always choose not too and hope the silver stays as it should.

 

Bullion is just that to me and my proof like and proofs are what i like and want to collect.

 

Cleaning something for the sake of it? meh.

[DrDime]

I had a go at cleaning my new koala just now. Results are ok:

Before

During

After

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[morezone]

lol at Cillit Bang.

I'm a CIF man myself.  Cuts through anything although I've never tried it on a coin.

[Carpe Diem]

YouTube stacker dipped this bullion in something called e-z-est

 

 

[morezone]

We can't get that over here.  I don't know anywhere which will export that stuff from the states because of the postal regulations.

[StackemHigh]

Koala talk on a Maple Leaf thread. Quite a bit off topic.

[HighlandTiger]

HT, numisologist is a fake word. Don't be selling it to us.

Oh bugger, I misspelled it. Gonna have to put a few more letters in the middle of it.

 

Here we go.............................."numismatologist"....... yeah I done it. 

 

Happy now