If I had to pick one question we get more than any other, I would have to say it's "How do I determine my Canadian Maple Leaf gold coin value?" Maples are valued based on two components. First there's the underlying gold bullion content. The second component is the premium. In what seems like a counterintuitive move, the smaller the gold Maple Leaf is, the higher the premium. The premium is also variable based upon mintage, condition, or special preparation, such as holograms or proof coins.

The Canadian Gold Maple Leaf was first introduced in 1979 as competition to the Krugerrand. At .9999 purity it was (and still is) 24 carats, which was a higher gold bullion content than the competition (the Kruger is 22 carats). The lion's share of a Maple's value comes from the underlying gold content. Gold value is set worldwide by an agreed upon price, called the "gold spot". You can see what gold is trading out by looking at the sidebar widget on the left sidebar- or you can look in any major newspaper, or a conduct a web search. Once you have that price, we can move on to calculating the premium. Once you know the spot price and the premium, you can make the decision on if investing in Maples is a good idea, or if you should choose another bullion investment option.

The premium was originally marketed as mintage, shipping and handling. Over the years there's been a little more tacked on here and there, where you can pretty much be sure that it includes seller profit. There's nothing wrong with that- as long as it's reasonable. For example, on the little Maple Leafs like the 1/20 oz gold Maple, the premium may be a whopping 25%- while if you purchase a 1 oz Maple you may see anywhere from 5%-12%. Our advice is simple, buy the largest size you can afford to minimize the amount of your money that goes for anything other than the gold content. The exception to the rule would be for collectors or special gifts, where you're not only buying the underlying gold, but a collectible piece as well.

Figuring out the Canadian Maple Leaf Gold Value the easy way is a piece of cake. Just check our Gold Maple Leaf Price. Pretty simple, huh? We like using eBay as source data because it shows the result of free market trading. They also do a pretty brisk business- if you check the total ounces column you can see how much of a particular coin moved on a given day. We also give you the ability to check a few dealer's prices as well for comparison. Be sure to carefully read the descriptions next to each one, some charge a flat fee, others have minimum purchase requirements. Don't forget that if you purchase online or over the phone, you're also going to pay fees for shipping, handling and insurance. These aren't optional on such a high value item.

If you want to do your comparison shopping manually, you can. Log in to eBay, if you don't have an account, you'll need to make one. Don't worry, it's easy and free. Plus you can usually find good deals on a variety of other items, so it's worth your time. Anyway, once you're logged in, run a search for the size of gold Maple Leaf you're looking for. Now the tricky part is setting the options to display "Completed Listings". Look for "Preferences" of the left. It's about halfway down on the page. Just make sure Completed Listings is checked and you're in business. Look for the green sold box. Then do a little math- take today's gold spot price and subtract it from sold price, and there's your premium. Determine if that is a fair price in your opinion. If not, you may look at other options- or simply wait. Gold is volatile and may go down, but for about the last twenty years it has been trending upward.

As for dealer comparison shopping- let your fingers do the walking. Just call a few, explain you're trying to determine the Canadian Maple Leaf gold coin value and most will be happy to help you- at the least they'll give you their current prices. Which brings us to the next topic, proof and special edition Maple Leaf values. The steps above pretty much cover how to figure out the value on a circulated coin- the ones that are designed primarily as a gold bullion investment vehicle. Proof, hologram, and special edition coins are created for collectors, and as such have additional numismatic value based upon special handing, features, and scarcity. For something like this you need an expert- someone who trades them regularly. While you've got the dealer on the phone, just as. You can also check out the market values on the auction links in the left sidebar- just pick what you're looking for. There's no special trick to determine a Canadian Maple Leaf gold coin value- with a little research anyone can do it quickly and easily.