As of November 2009, the global economic downturn is in the first quarter of its second year. The present is a great time to invest in gold. And Canadian gold coins, all of which are known as the Canadian Gold Maple Leaf, are an excellent choice for direct ownership of gold regardless of the size of the investor’s budget.
One reason is that regular-issue Canadian gold coins are available in five sizes, including one ounce, one-half of an ounce, one-fourth of an ounce, one-tenth of an ounce and one-twentieth of an ounce. And the gold content of Canadian gold coins, which are produced by the Royal Canadian Mint, guarantees international liquidity.
The global economic downturn, fueled by a credit crisis, began in the third quarter of 2008. Although the global economy has risen off the nadir, it has not regained health. Thus, investors are purchasing gold as a hedge against the economic downturn. And its spot price has increased significantly over the last 12 months. The spot price of gold at the close on October 29, 2008, was around $750.00 an ounce. A year later, the spot price at the close on October 29, 2009, was $1,029.90, representing an increase of more than 37 percent.
At its introduction in 1979, the Canadian Gold Maple Leaf was the world’s second gold bullion coin, following South Africa Krugerrand. All Canadian gold coins are legal tender in Canada. But the face value of each coin is much lower than the current value of the gold content. The one-ounce coin has a face value of $50. The other coins have a face value of $20, $10, $5 and $1, respectively.
All Canadian gold coins have a bust of Queen Elizabeth II of England on the observe (front) and a single maple leaf, Canada’s national symbol, on the reverse. The only differences are the face value on the obverse of the coin and the weight on the reverse. Regular-issue Canadian gold coins that were minted from 1979-81 had a gold content of .999. In 1982, the gold content was raised to the current .9999.
The Canadian Gold Maple Leaf was the world’s first gold bullion coin with .9999 purity. Canadian gold coins now share a world-leading .9999 purity with Australia’s Nugget, China’s Gold Panda, Austria’s Gold Philharmonic and the United States’ Gold Buffalo.
To learn more about Canadian gold coins, I recommend you checking out Gold Maple Leaf Coin. It is a specialized Canadian Maple Leaf gold coin for sale site, offering a great selection of gold Maple Leaf coins for sale. This website makes finding your dream Maple Leaf gold coins a million times easier. Be sure to try this website before you buy.
Wilson Snyder is a freelance writer. Learn more about Canadian gold coins at Maple Leaf gold coin .
