Maple Privy Silver Coins

Canadian Maple Leaf Privy Silver Coins at Provident Metals

Canadian Maple Leaf Silver coins are not only among the most popular silver coins in the world, but the most diverse as well. In the overarching series, the coin program also releases special privy mark coins, usually commemorating an event, holiday, or special occasion. Learn more about these unique coins, right here at Provident Metals.

Background of the Canadian Maple Leaf Silver Coin Series

The Canadian Maple Leaf Silver Series debuted in 1988 and has been released annually by the Royal Canadian Mint ever since. The series is the official silver bullion coin of Canada and is among the most popular silver bullion options in the world, today.

The overall Canadian Maple Leaf Series creates coins in gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. Gold debuted in 1979 with silver following almost a decade later. However, the Canadian Maple Leaf Silver Coin was the first in the world to be struck with .9999 pure silver. These coins feature the reigning British monarch on the obverse along with Walter Ott’s sugar maple leaf on the reverse.

While the reigning British monarch is always present on the obverse, the image has changed over the years.

• 1988-1989:  Arnold Machin designed this image of Queen Elizabeth II.
• 1990-2003: Dora de Pédery-Hunt created this image of Queen Elizabeth II.
• 2004-2023:  Susanna Blunt designed this image of Queen Elizabeth II.
• 2024- Present: This image of King Charles III was designed by Steven Rosati. It’s the first time someone other than the Queen has been showcased.

Privy Coins

What makes the overall series unique is their special privy coinage. Privy coins are recognizable by the small mark or differentiation in the design of a coin. Privy marks on the Canadian Maple Leaf Silver Coin are usually found on the reverse, underneath the sugar maple leaf design.

Privy mark coins have a much lower mintage than Maple Leaf Coins without a privy. These privy releases are intended to honor a special event, occasion, or holiday.

Privy Zodiac Series

Maybe the most popular set of Privy coins released in the series is the Privy Zodiac Coins. These coins feature a small privy honoring the Chinese zodiac. The original series debuted in 1998 with the Year of the Tiger and was released annually until 2009 with the Year of the Ox. The first seven coins had a mintage of 25,000. The Year of the Rooster coin had a mintage of just 15,000 while the Year of the Dog coin had a mintage of 10,000. The final three had a mintage of just 8,000 each.

After a couple of years on hiatus, the Privy Zodiac Series returned in 2012 with the Year of the Dragon. These coins have been released annually until 2023 with the Year of the Rabbit. The majority of these privy coins were released as reverse proof strikes.

Treasured Maple Leaf

At Provident Metals, we have a selection of 2024 Canadian Maple Leaf Silver Coins in special packaging, known as Treasured Maple Leafs

These silver coins come in a themed blisterpack along with a Certificate of Authenticity. Each coin has a unique privy mark along with a mintage of just 25,000. Each coin is also designated as a first strike. Popular options include the following:

• Polar Bear Privy
• Firework Privy
• Lunar Dragon

Anniversary Coins

Privy Coins are almost as old as the overall Canadian Maple Leaf Silver Series, as the first privy release came in 1989, just one year after the debut of the coin program. This privy was a 10th-anniversary privy mark for the Maple Leaf design. A lot of privy marks on these coins are for special anniversaries. Some examples of these are the following:

• 1998: 90th Anniversary of the Royal Canadian Mint – mintage of 13,025.
• 2004: 60th Anniversary of the D-Day invasion – mintage of 11,698.
• 2012: 100th Anniversary of the Titanic sinking – mintage of 25,000.
• 2015: 100th Anniversary of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity – mintage of 50,000.
• 2017: 150th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada – mintage of 150,000.

Other Popular Privy Releases

The Royal Canadian Mint releases privy coins in this series for a number of reasons. Some other popular choices are the following:

• 1998: Royal Canadian Mounted Police Privy – mintage of 25,000.
• 1999-2000 & 2000: Fireworks Privy.
• 2006-2016: Fabulous Series.
• 2016: Bigfoot – mintage of 50,000.

Buying Canadian Maple Leaf Privy Silver Coins at Provident Metals

For any inquiries about Canadian Maple Leaf Privy Silver Coins, contact the Provident Metals team at 1-800-313-3315. Our team can also be reached via email or through our online chat feature.