What is the 1oz Maple Leaf Gold?
The 1oz Maple Leaf gold coin is one of the most famous and popular investment coins worldwide. Since its introduction in 1979, it has earned an excellent reputation for its high quality and purity. The gold coin is minted by the Royal Canadian Mint and is known for its purity of 99.9% gold, and since 1983, an impressive 99.99%. This coin is one of the first modern investment coins and has found a permanent place in the portfolios of many investors and collectors since its introduction.
The Maple Leaf is not only a valuable investment, but also a work of art that reflects Canadian culture and nature.
Obverse
Until 2023, the obverse of the 1 oz Maple Leaf gold coin featured a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. The portrait on the right was designed by Canadian artist Susanna Blunt and has been in use since 2003. Below the Queen's portrait is the coin's face value in Canadian dollars (CAD) and the year of minting. From 2024 onwards, the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II was replaced with that of King Charles III.
Reverse
The reverse of the coin features the iconic Canadian sugar maple leaf designed by Walter Ott. This leaf, known worldwide as a symbol of Canada, is the centrepiece of the coin and gives it its name. The word ‘CANADA’ appears above the maple leaf, while the fineness and weight of the coin are indicated next to the leaf and below it: “9999” and ‘FINE GOLD 1 OZ OR PUR’. In addition, since 2013, a small maple leaf and radial lines have been engraved as security features to make the coin more difficult to counterfeit.
Prüfung der Münze
In this example, the coin is measured based on three characteristics: diameter, weight and electrical conductivity. These three measurements together provide a comprehensive assessment of the coin. Watch the video! (YouTube)
Dimensions & weight
The coin weighs one troy ounce, which is equivalent to 31.103 g. It also has a diameter of 30 mm and a thickness of 2.87 mm. These values are confirmed in the video using a precision balance and a digital caliper. These values were used to determine the approximate density.
Alternative method of determining density
As an alternative to these measurements, another method can be used to determine the exact density, namely density determination according to Archimedes' principle. This is very easy to implement with the DensityScreenScale. For pure gold (999.9/1000), a density of 19.32 g/cm³ is expected. However, since the density of gold can be easily imitated using tungsten, it is ultimately worthwhile to measure the electrical conductivity of the coin.
Conductivity measurement
The 1oz Maple Leaf gold coin is made of the purest gold (999.9/1000). The GoldScreenSensor is particularly well suited for accurately measuring the conductivity of this coin, as it enables precise analysis. The electrical conductivity of pure gold (999.9) is approximately 45.0 MS/m. This expected value was confirmed in the video. In summary, it can be said that the authenticity of the coin was confirmed by the combination of dimensions + weight and electrical conductivity.
Used products
Precious metal testing device for verifying the authenticity of coins and ingots
