The Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coin has long been a favorite of investors around the globe. The official silver bullion coin for Canada debuted in 1988 as the first-ever .9999 pure silver bullion coin. Today, it remains one of the handful of annual-issue bullion coins with such impressive purity levels. Right now, 2003 1 oz Canadian Silver Maple Leaf Coins are available to purchase online from JM Bullion.
Coin Highlights:
- Arrives packaged in protective plastic flips!
- 16th release year for the Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coin!
- Total mintage of 684,750 coins in 2003!
- Contains 1 Troy oz of .9999 pure silver in BU condition.
- Bears a face value of $5 (CAD) backed by the federal government of Canada.
- Obverse includes the new fourth-generation portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
For the 2003 release of the Canadian Silver Maple Leaf, Canada’s official 1 oz silver coin saw its first change in design since the 1990 introduction of Dora de Pedery-Hunt’s third-generation effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. Found on Canadian coinage since 1953, Queen Elizabeth II has had her portrait updated three times on Canadian coins.
The 2003 1 oz Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coin features a new design of the Queen created by Susanna Blunt. With her creation, Blunt became just the second Canadian to ever design a monarch’s effigy for the coin. Her design is also a throwback to the designs of Elizabeth II’s father, George VI.
On the obverse of the 2003 1 oz Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coin is the image of Queen Elizabeth II in right-profile relief. This design continues with the use of the engravings “Elizabeth II” and on circulation coins “D.G. Regina.” More significantly, it was the first design since King George VI’s portrait to feature the monarch without a crown.
The reverse of all Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coins bear the sugar maple leaf design. Created by Walter Ott, this image has appeared on Canadian Maple Leaf coins since the 1979 introduction of the Gold Maple Leaf.
Mintage of the Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coins was on the rise in 2003. Silver pricing was behind some of this as investment markets cooled. The average price in 2003 was up $.28 per ounce to $4.88, but it hit a high-water mark in the final quarter of the year around $6.00 per ounce.
The Royal Canadian Mint opened its original mint facility in the federal capital of Ottawa in 1908. A second facility opened in Winnipeg in the 1980s to expand the capacity of the Royal Canadian Mint.
If you have any questions, JM Bullion associates are available to help. You can connect with us on the phone at 800-276-6508, online using our live chat, and via our email address.