Royal Canadian Mint Platinum Coins

Canadian Maple Leaf Platinum Coins

The Platinum Canadian Maple Leaf is part of the Canadian Maple Leaf series of Precious Metals bullion coins which debuted in 1979 with the Gold Maple Leaf coin. Platinum Maple Leaf coins were added to the Maple Leaf catalogue almost a decade later, after the Royal Canadian Mint had cemented its excellent reputation with its Gold coins, which consisted of .999 pure gold, refined to .9999 in 1984, with no alloys, a rarity at the time. Due to this success, the mint decided to add Canadian Platinum coins and Silver coins to the series in 1988. That year, Canada ranked third in worldwide Platinum production, which was used in Platinum coins and for industrial uses, third only to Russia and South Africa. These stunning Canadian coins are part of the wide assortment of platinum bullion available at APMEX.

Platinum Maple Coins History

Platinum Canadian Maple Leaf production started on Sept. 22, 1988, the same year of the Silver Canadian Maple Leaf. These platinum coins had a special “striking ceremony” for both the platinum coins and silver coins. Junichiro Tanaka, president of the largest Precious Metal distributor in Japan, struck the first Platinum Maple Leaf. He was chosen to strike these Canadian platinum coins because at the time, the Gold Maple Leaf was extremely popular in Japan, accounting for 70% of all gold coin sales there.

Platinum Canadian Maple Leafs

The Platinum Canadian Maple Leaf was available for sale to the general public on Nov. 17, 1988. The Canadian platinum coins were available in different weights and denominations, with face values ranging from $5 to $50. Platinum coins, of course, are worth more than their symbolic face value. These platinum coins are worth their value in platinum, based on the current spot price of platinum plus the cost of fabrication, distribution, nominal dealer fee and any numismatic value. The original version of the Platinum Maple Leaf featured the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, as designed by Arnold Machin, which has been updated in later versions. APMEX makes it easy to buy Platinum online, including the stunning Canadian Platinum Maple Leaf.

Other Canadian Products

If you love the beauty, pedigree, and purity of the Platinum Maple Leaf, another popular coin to consider is the Canadian 1 oz Silver Maple Leaf, or the Gold Maple Leaf, which comes in sizes as small as 1/20 oz. These coins can help you diversify your portfolio by including a number of different metals.

Investing in Platinum

Because Platinum Canadian Maple Leafs derive their value from platinum content and prevailing market prices, many investors look beyond face value to understand how these coins perform over time. While factors like fabrication costs and potential numismatic interest can influence overall worth, tracking price movement relative to purchase cost helps provide clearer investment context. A platinum calculator for ROI allows investors to measure performance by comparing buy prices with current or realized platinum values, supporting informed decisions when holding Platinum Maple Leafs as part of a diversified precious metals strategy.