1/10 oz Call of the Wild Gold Coin

Five-Nines Gold from the Royal Canadian Mint

The 1/10 oz Call of the Wild gold coin is struck at 99.999% purity (five nines), the highest commercially available gold fineness. This makes it the purest fractional gold coin on the market, surpassing even the 1/10 oz Canadian Maple Leaf at 9999 (four nines). The additional 0.009% difference between four-nines and five-nines gold requires specialised refining techniques that very few facilities worldwide can achieve. The Royal Canadian Mint is one of them.

The Call of the Wild is a seven-coin series released annually from 2014 to 2020, with each coin depicting a different Canadian predator mid-vocalisation: wolf, cougar, grizzly, elk, golden eagle, moose, and bobcat. The 1/10 oz gold version was issued in 2015 and 2016 only, featuring the Howling Wolf and Growling Cougar designs respectively, each with a BU mintage of 10,000 pieces. The series was designed by Canadian artist Pierre Leduc, who captured each animal at its fiercest rather than in serene wildlife portraiture.

With a CAD $20 face value, this is legal tender in Canada backed by the Canadian government. The coin measures 16 mm in diameter and 1.13 mm thick, with a serrated edge. It carries the Royal Canadian Mint's full suite of security features, including a micro-engraved maple leaf with the last two digits of the mintage year visible under magnification, and the Bullion DNA encrypted authentication system readable by authorised DNA Bullion readers.

The series concluded with the 2020 Bobcat and will not be extended, making the complete seven-coin set a finite collectible. The 1/10 oz fractional versions, limited to just two of the seven designs, are particularly scarce relative to the full 1 oz range.

Call of the Wild 1/10 oz Gold Specifications

Available Designs at 1/10 oz

The remaining five Call of the Wild designs (Roaring Grizzly, Crowned Elk, Shrieking Golden Eagle, Majestic Moose, and Bobcat) were produced only in the 1 oz gold format. The 1/10 oz version was discontinued after the second year.

Each coin is sealed in a credit-card-sized assay card certifying weight, purity, and authenticity with a tamper-evident seal. The hand-polished BU finish creates a mirror-like surface showing fine detail. Reverse designs feature stylised sound wave lines emanating from the animal's mouth, suggesting the vocalisation. "9999" and weight/purity inscriptions appear on the reverse, though the actual purity is five nines (99.999%), which exceeds the inscribed four-nines marking.

Tax Advantages of Canadian Legal Tender Gold

As legal tender issued by the Royal Canadian Mint with a CAD $20 face value, the Call of the Wild 1/10 oz gold coin benefits from favourable tax treatment in most jurisdictions. Its 99.999% purity exceeds the minimum thresholds for investment gold classification everywhere that has one.

Canada: GST/HST exempt as Canadian legal tender gold exceeding the 99.5% purity threshold. Capital gains on disposal are taxable at the 50% inclusion rate (50% of the gain added to income and taxed at the individual's marginal rate). The coin qualifies for RRSP and TFSA inclusion through authorised dealers with appropriate custodial arrangements.

United States: IRA eligible. The 99.999% purity far exceeds the IRS minimum of 99.5% for gold held in precious metals IRAs under Section 408(m). No federal sales tax; approximately 35 states exempt bullion purchases from state sales tax. Capital gains are taxed at the collectibles rate of 28% for long-term holdings.

United Kingdom: VAT-exempt as investment gold (exceeds 995 fineness threshold). Not UK legal tender, so profits are subject to CGT at the individual's marginal rate after the £3,000 annual allowance. The 1/10 oz gold Britannia provides CGT exemption that the Call of the Wild cannot.

European Union: VAT-exempt under the EU Investment Gold Directive. The coin meets all qualifying criteria (post-1800, legal tender, 900+ fine, priced within 80% of gold value). In Germany, capital gains are tax-free if the coin is held for more than one year.

Australia: GST-free as investment gold exceeding 99.5% purity. CGT applies with a 50% discount for holdings over 12 months.

New Zealand: GST-exempt as fine gold bullion exceeding the 99.5% purity threshold. No formal capital gains tax, though the IRD may tax gains if the gold was acquired with the purpose of resale.

Singapore and Hong Kong: No sales tax or capital gains tax on investment gold in either jurisdiction. Singapore's IPM scheme covers gold at 99.5%+ purity from recognised sovereign issuers.

Five-Nines Purity vs Four-Nines Competitors

The Call of the Wild's defining feature is its 99.999% purity, a specification that no other series offers in a 1/10 oz format. This places it in a category of one among fractional gold coins.

The 1/10 oz Canadian Maple Leaf is the natural comparison: same mint (Royal Canadian Mint), same face value denomination structure, same security features (Bullion DNA, micro-engraved maple leaf). The Maple Leaf is 9999 fine (four nines) versus the Call of the Wild's 99999 (five nines). In practical terms, this 0.009% purity difference has no measurable impact on the coin's intrinsic gold value. The difference matters as a collector and marketing distinction. The Maple Leaf's advantage is unlimited annual production and tighter resale spreads. The Call of the Wild's advantage is its finite production run (only 10,000 pieces per design at 1/10 oz) and the unique animal-design series appeal.

The 1/10 oz American Gold Eagle at 22 karat (91.67% gold) contains the same 3.11 grams of fine gold in a heavier 3.393 g coin. The Eagle's unmatched US market liquidity and universal IRA acceptance make it the pragmatic choice for American investors focused on accumulation. The Call of the Wild appeals to collectors and those who value the RCM pedigree and the five-nines distinction.

Against other annual-design gold series, the Call of the Wild competes with the 1/10 oz Australian Kangaroo (9999 fine, annual design changes, Perth Mint production). The Kangaroo is still in active production with higher mintages, giving it better ongoing availability. The Call of the Wild's status as a completed, finite series (2014 to 2020, seven designs total) creates a collectible premium that active series cannot replicate.

The premium positioning reflects this: Call of the Wild coins typically trade at 5 to 15% above standard bullion premiums. Buyers choosing this over a Maple Leaf or Kangaroo are paying for rarity, the five-nines purity story, and the Pierre Leduc wildlife artwork. For cost-efficient gold accumulation at the 1/10 oz weight, the Maple Leaf or Eagle provides better value per gram of gold acquired.