Platinum has been used for industrial and investment purposes for decades. The Royal Canadian Mint introduced the Platinum Canadian Maple Leaf coin in the same year as the Silver Canadian Maple Leaf coin. Each Silver Canadian Maple Leaf coin is 99.95% pure Platinum. The Canadian Platinum Maple Leaf carries the same front and reverse designs as the Gold and Silver coins.

Appearance

The obverse features a bust of Queen Elizabeth II, whose design changed in 1990 to feature a mature portrait of the Queen. In both versions, her name (ELIZABETH II) appears at top and the denomination of the coin and the date of issue rest underneath the bust.

The reverse depicts a Maple Leaf, the national symbol of Canada and for which the coin derives its name. The reverse also lists the name of the country and the amount and purity of the gold. Based on the popularity of the Gold Canadian Maple Leaf, the Royal Canadian Mint began producing 99.9% pure platinum bullion coins. The Ottawa branch of the Mint has been in operation since 1908, when it was opened as a branch of Britain’s Royal Mint. It came under Canadian ownership in 1931 and became a corporation of the Crown in 1969. The Government of Canada guarantees the purity, weight, and legal tender value of each Canadian Maple Leaf bullion coin.