We used a previous post to discuss the rich world of bullion coins, citing some collector favorites like China’s Gold Panda, South Africa’s Krugerrand, and Australia’s Gold Nugget. They are but a small sampling of the world’s bullion coins. In this post, we’ll highlight three more coins from three other countries.
The Maple Leaf: When collectors think about bullion coin variety, Canada’s Maple Leaf coin is at the top of the list. First minted in 1979, the Maple Leaf comes in gold, silver, platinum, palladium, and bi-metallic (silver and gold) varieties. Maple Leaf coins are also among the purest in the world, with some special editions reaching a gold purity level of .99999 millesimal fineness. Furthermore, gold Maple Leaf coins come in sizes of 1/20 ozt, 1/15 ozt, 1/10 ozt, 1/5 ozt, 1/4 ozt, 1/2 ozt, 1 ozt, 10 kg, and (make sure you are sitting down) 100 kg. In 2007, the Royal Canadian mint created the 100 kg coin as a promotional product. However, it sparked genuine demand among collectors, so the mint continues to produce them on a special order basis. The coins are 50 cm in diameter, 3 cm thick, and carry a face value of $1 million – although it contains (at current market values) more than $5 million in gold.
American Buffalo: The United States produces several different kinds of bullion coins and the American Buffalo coin is among its most popular. Like the Maple Leaf, the Buffalo is very pure, with a pure gold content of .9999. The art on the America Buffalo coin is based on the old, yet beloved among collectors, design of the “Indian Head” nickel, which was minted from 1913 to 1938. The obverse side of the coin features a portrait of a Native American while the reverse side depicts an iconic American bison. American Buffalo coins are currently available in only a 1 ozt size.
Saint George the Victorious: One of the most venerated saints, Saint George is perhaps best known for his heroism. The legend goes that a certain village was dependant on a particular spring for all their water needs. However, the spring was guarded by a vicious dragon that needed to be distracted with food before villagers could collect water. When no livestock were available, villagers drew straws to determine which among them would “distract” the dragon. When their princess drew the shortest straw, the village was in despair. Fortunately, before the dragon could take the princess, Saint George rode in and valiantly slew the beast. Russia honors Saint George with his own bullion coins (in silver and gold) depicting him slaying the dragon.
