Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coins make a great investment for any precious metals portfolio. Silver Maple Leaf coins are minted from .9999 (four nines) pure fine silver, making them one of the purest silver bullion coins produced in the world.
The design of the Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coin features a national symbol of Canada, the glorious maple leaf on one side, and a profile of Queen Elizabeth on the other.
Silver Maple Leafs are minted by the Royal Canadian Mint and are backed by the sovereign government of Canada for their purity and quality.
A common issue with Silver Maple Leaf Coins, as well as other silver coins issues by the Royal Canadian Mint, has been that over time the coins can develop a milky sheen on the surface. The milky sheen can be just some small spots or can cover the coin entirely.
What causes milk spots on Silver Maple Leaf Coins?
The milk spots that have appeared on Canadian Silver Maple Leaf Coins has been often blamed on the rinsing solution that has been used during the minting process.
To combat the problem of milk-spots developing on Silver Maple Leafs, the Royal Canadian Mint introduced “MintShield” technology on bullion coins produced from 2018 onward.
MintShield is a unique production process developed to reduce the occurrence of white milky spots from developing over time. The process is applied to coins during the minting process. It is invisible to the naked eye and has no impact on the purity or composition of the Silver Maple Leaf Coins.
Milk spots, while not aesthetically pleasing, have little to no impact on the value of the silver bullion.
On the secondary market, buying Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coins that have milk spots represents an investment opportunity. Milk spotted Silver Maple Leaf coins are often sold by bullion dealers at a discount.
You can buy Silver Maple Leaf Coins with Milk Spots from online bullion dealers. Sometimes these are listed in the product description as milk spotted, circulated or cull Maple Leafs. Coins with milk spots will usually be the cheapest way to buy Silver Maple Leaf coins.