Cornwall, Сanada - February 16, 2014: a stack of loonies with the Secord collection with the red Maple leaf design 25 cents, sitting on top of loonies in the middle towards the left side.
Economic fears and increased interest in investing have resulted in a massive demand for precious metals in recent years. And for anyone seeking gold and silver, the Royal Canadian Mint no doubt came up in their online searches. Exactly what does this governmental organization do?
That’s actually a simple question with a more complex answer. The Royal Canadian Mint produces all the country’s circulation coins, but its duties go far beyond this essential function. In fact, the mint plays a significant role in the world supply of precious metal coinage.
If you have questions about investing or buying coins and bullion bars from this mint, the following guide will help you make a more informed decision. Spoiler alert: It’s a respected public organization that puts out some of the best precious metal items on the market.
The Royal Canadian Mint is Canada’s official Crown corporation that produces the country’s circulation coinage, medallions, tokens, bullion bars, medals and more. They also provide silver and gold assay and refinery services. If it’s precious metal and in Canada, it’s somehow linked to the mint.
The first Royal Mint location opened in 1908. Coinage struck specifically for the country first came out in 1858, but it was initially London’s mint that produced these coins. The country’s official mint now has two locations – one in Ottawa and another in Ontario.
Besides the items already mentioned, the Royal Canadian Mint also produces coinage on behalf of other countries. And although their traditional precious metal coins and bullion bars are popular, great demand also exists for many of their specialty products:
As these offerings go to show, the Royal Canadian Mint has expanded far outside of its original duty to produce the nation’s coinage. This at least partially explains why it’s popular around the world. Even their gift sets sell out before most people even see them.
Canada’s mint is also a leader in currency technology. Their innovative Bullion DNA authenticates silver and gold Maple Leafs in just seconds, and their digital currency, MintChip, predates most modern cryptocurrencies on the market.
Any of the facts mentioned here could get folks excited about buying bullion from the Royal Canadian Mint. Before you scour their website looking for great deals, though, it’s important to know how they sell items.
Whether you’re looking to buy Canadian gold coins or the Mapleflex pure silver bars, you’ve undoubtedly asked whether you can go directly through the mint. After all, everyone knows that purchasing straight from the source is the best way to save money. Unfortunately, this isn’t an option.
While the Royal Canadian Mint creates some of the most popular gold, silver, platinum and palladium bullion products in the world, they do not sell bullion directly to the public. The government organization only works with major distributors to push out these products.
Fortunately, this shouldn’t hinder you from purchasing Canadian bullion. Consider just a few of your buying options:
Unfortunately, many collectors and investors can’t simply walk into a bank or national dealer in Quebec. If you want to buy bullion from the Royal Canadian Mint, your best bet is likely a reputable dealer like Silver Gold Bull.
By going through major bullion retailers, you can safely purchase items without traveling abroad. And since Silver Gold Bull and other dealers offer allocated precious metals storage, you can maintain your bullion’s chain of integrity while still having access to your investment.
While all the specialty items from Canada’s Royal Mint are interesting, most investors are more worried about precious metal content than novelty. If you fall into this category, don’t worry about three-dimensional Mountie hats and silver replicas of Mars being the only items offered by the mint.
They actually offer much more. Here is a quick list of the most popular bullion coins that come out of the Royal Canadian Mint – along with links where you can purchase them:
Canada’s Royal Mint also produces a 10-ounce silver bullion bar and even a one-kilo gold bullion bar. While various other countries produce precious metal products, very few have the extensive selection offered by Canada’s mint.
It’s also not just variety that makes the country’s coinage and bar bullion stand out. Just like the U.S. Mint, the Royal Canadian Mint is recognized and respected as a high-quality organization. If they produced an item that you purchased, you’ll know without a doubt that it’s real.
Canada’s two mintage locations create some of the highest quality bullion products available on the market. This means any item they produce has a guaranteed precious metal content and purity. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean you’ll always get what you pay for.
Because of the amount of items that the mint creates, their bullion is among the most abundant in the world. When looking at the top five gold-producing nations on earth, it also becomes obvious how Maple Leafs have become one of the most common bullion coins ever:
This means Canadian gold coins are easy to find on the market, and this makes them incredibly popular. Unfortunately, this popularity extends to coin counterfeiters as well. That’s why Canadian gold Maple Leafs are among the most counterfeited bullion coins in the world.
In fact, one survey revealed that 25 percent of U.S. coin dealers reported customers bringing in fake Maple Leafs to sell. Unfortunately, many of these counterfeits are so good that only professionals can spot them. Luckily, there are various ways you can avoid getting scammed.
You can find a bulk of Royal Canadian Mint coins on eBay. And if you scour Facebook Marketplace or your local flea market, you’re likely to find a few options as well. Unfortunately, you’re taking a disproportionate risk when doing so.
When you purchase any bullion from private citizens, you have little recourse if the precious metal is fake. If you look at sites like Wish.com, you’ll also find countless fake Canadian gold products that are nearly identical to the genuine items.
Unfortunately, these and similar fakes frequently find their way to private sellers. It’s possible that someone scammed them as well, but there’s no need for you to join them in losing money.
The eBay platform offers a great way to purchase items at amazing prices. For investing in precious metal coins, bars, medallions and other bullion from the Royal Canadian Mint, though, it’s best to avoid buying on eBay.
While there are certainly reputable dealers on the platform, you’ll also come across great prices from users with zero feedback points. These are often fake accounts geared towards stealing your money and hitting the road.
Even when you find reputable offerings from the Royal Canadian Mint on the site, you could still end up paying too much. Sellers need to charge higher prices due to the fees they face, and when you’re bidding against others in such a hot market, the price can get out of control quickly.
If you choose to buy from anywhere other than a reputable dealer, you should know a few tricks of the trade. Learning the dimensions and weight of bullion coins is an impressive start, and a simple magnet test on gold and silver will reveal fakes if the magnet sticks.
The best safety measure you can take is buying a counterfeit detector, but these can cost hundreds of dollars. They also typically only test gold and silver. This means if you buy platinum coins or other types of bullion, you may be unable to verify authenticity.
The best way to avoid testing precious metals or guessing at their authenticity is simply to work with a reputable company. Silver Gold Bull has served tens of thousands of customers over more than a decade. And in that time, our offerings always included Royal Canadian Mint bullion.
Even if you don’t choose to buy from us, it’s important that you always purchase from reputable dealers. Check online reviews, read related articles and never purchase from a company that’s unknown or just starting out. This will decrease your risk when buying bullion products.
The amount of precious metals a country produces typically correlates with its precious metal coinage and bullion distribution. This explains why Canada’s mint is renowned around the world. If you’re looking for quality investments, Canadian gold and silver is a great place to start.
Since the Royal Canadian Mint doesn’t sell bullion directly to the public, though, it’s important that you find a safe way to purchase these items. This is the only way to ensure you’re getting what you pay for. Of course, even respected companies vary in the value they offer investors.
At Silver Gold Bull, we sell a variety of products directly from the Royal Canadian Mint at the lowest possible premiums. Visit our Precious Metal Products Page to start your journey towards financial stability today. The wide variety of items we offer from the mint will no doubt impress!
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