The Royal Canadian Mint introduced the gold Maple Leaf coin in 1979, seven years before the US Mint began minting US Mint coins, like the American Eagle. Today the gold mint coin is sold worldwide to investors who appreciate the iconic Maple Leaf design. 

The Canadian Maple Leaf stands out because of its purity. Of the top three most popular gold bullion coins, the Maple Leaf is the only one minted from .9999 fine gold. Both the South African Krugerrand and the American Eagle are 22 karat purity (.9167). This difference in purity is not a large factor when it comes to absolute value because the actual gold weight contained in all three coins is the same. The Eagle and Krugerrand simply have a bit higher gross weight due to the alloy metals used. But some investors do prefer the higher purity and the particular luster that comes with it.

The classic design of the gold Maple Leaf coin is virtually unchanged since its introduction.

Queen Elizabeth II (obverse) - The bust of Queen Elizabeth II appears on the obverse side of the coin, gracefully aging across various vintage coins in a design by Arnold Machin. The newer versions were created by Susanna Blunt. Her initials appear very tiny on the left shoulder. Several other small changes can be found. A similar image of the Queen can also be seen on the popular Australian Kangaroo coin series.

Maple Leaf (reverse) - The reverse depicts a single Canadian Maple Leaf, the national symbol of Canada. The finely detailed design has a proof-like strike down to the veins and texture of the maple leaf itself.