Kicking Off 2025 with a Birthday Silver Treat: The Tale of 10 Canadian Maple Leaves
Yesterday was my birthday, and while the cake and candles were great, today I unwrapped a gift that truly sparkled—ME! Okay, fine, it was more about the 10 new (to me) Canadian 1oz Silver Maple Leaf coins that arrived from my good mate, @BackyardBullion. These beauties (or let’s call them “characters”) were a perfect addition to my stack and a fitting way to kick off 2025 with an extra 10 ounces of shiny goodness.
These aren’t your mint-condition, flawless collector’s pieces. Nope, these 2015 Canadian Silver Maple Leafs have, shall we say, “lived.” Like an aged rock star, they’re showing their years with some tarnish, toning, and, of course, the notorious Canadian Mint milk spots—because what’s a Maple without its trademark imperfections?
But here’s the thing: I don’t care! I’m not in this for numismatic glory. I buy for weight and value, and that’s why my buddy BYB knows to call me when coins like these cross his path. At spot price (plus shipping), they were an absolute steal. Sure, they’re not pretty, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder—or, in this case, the melting pot.
First released in 1988 by the Royal Canadian Mint, the Silver Maple Leaf is a global favourite among silver stackers. Why? It’s minted with 1 troy ounce of .9999 fine silver, making it one of the purest bullion coins on the market. The obverse features the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II (God rest her soul), while the reverse proudly displays the iconic Canadian maple leaf—a symbol of strength, resilience, and maybe even maple syrup (though I’m still waiting for a coin that smells like pancakes).
Now, the Royal Canadian Mint is both revered and, let’s face it, a bit infamous in stacking circles. While their craftsmanship is undeniably top-notch, their coins are also renowned for developing milk spots—those ghostly white blemishes that are the bane of perfectionists but barely a blip for weight-focused folks like me.
These Maples, with their scars and stories, are perfect for what I do. They’ll either:
- Become Pirate Treasure – My kids adore playing with my “silver stash,” imagining they’re swashbuckling buccaneers on a quest for lost doubloons. These Maples are hardy enough to survive grubby little hands and imaginative adventures.
- Get the Melting Pot Treatment – I’ve been toying with the idea of hand-poured silver bars for a while now. Could 2025 finally be the year the “Welshie Bar” makes its debut? A bar infused with character, history, and a little Welsh charm? Watch this space!
What makes these coins extra special is their year: 2015. That’s not only when they were minted but also when both BYB and I started our precious metals journey. It’s funny how life comes full circle, isn’t it? From greenhorns in the stacking world to trading well-loved silver pieces, we’ve seen it all. These coins feel like a nostalgic nod to where it all began.
So here I am, nearly two weeks into the new year, and I’ve already added 10 ounces of silver to my stack. Not a bad start, eh? Sure, these Maples might be a bit worse for wear, but they’re mine, and they’ve got a purpose—whether that’s entertaining the kids or becoming shiny new bars.
Here’s to another year of stacking, trading, and maybe even pouring some silver of my own. And who knows? With friends like BYB and the ever-growing Silver Forum community, 2025 might just be the year I take my silver game to the next level.
In the meantime, I’ll raise a glass (or maybe a bar of silver) to another year of shiny adventures. Cheers!
Knowing what (I think) I know about the near Future of Silver, you made out like a Bandit... Awesome...