1 oz Single Sourced Mine Gold Coin

The Single Sourced Mine Gold Maple Leaf

The 1 oz Single Sourced Mine gold coin is a special edition of the Gold Maple Leaf where all gold is traceable to a single named Canadian mine. Launched in 2022, it was the first bullion product globally to offer verified single-mine provenance, with the gold kept segregated through every step of the refining and minting process. The coin contains one troy ounce of 999.9 fine gold, carries a face value of $50 CAD, and is Canadian legal tender.

Each year, the Royal Canadian Mint partners with a different Canadian mining company. The 2022 release used gold from Agnico Eagle's Meliadine Mine in Nunavut, Canada's most remote territory. The 2023 edition partnered with Newmont, sourcing from the Eleonore Mine in Quebec. The 2024 release returned to Agnico Eagle, using gold from the Detour Lake Mine in Ontario. The mine partnership rotates annually, though the RCM has not committed to a fixed schedule.

The coin is visually distinguished from the standard Gold Maple Leaf by a distinctive privy mark: a hand cradling a globe, positioned adjacent to the micro-engraved security feature. This symbol represents responsible sourcing and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) commitment. The privy mark is the only external difference; the reverse retains Walter Ott's iconic sugar maple leaf design, and all of the RCM's standard security technology applies.

The segregation requirement adds logistical complexity and cost to the production process. Keeping gold from one mine separate throughout an entire refining and minting operation limits supply naturally, creating scarcity without artificial mintage caps. The programme is LBMA Gold Guidance Version 9 compliant for responsible sourcing, a significant trust signal for institutional and ESG-focused buyers.

Single Sourced Mine Gold Coin Specifications

Mine Partners by Year

Security Features

• Bullion DNA: Digital authentication system co-developed with EDGYN SAS. Each coin's micro-engraved mark is captured, encrypted, and stored in a secure database for verification by authorised dealers.
• Radial line finish: Precision-machined lines unique to the RCM.
• Micro-engraved laser mark: Contains the last two digits of the production year, visible under magnification.
• Single-source privy mark: A hand cradling a globe, distinguishing this from the standard Gold Maple Leaf.

The 30 mm diameter and 2.87 mm thickness match the standard Gold Maple Leaf exactly. The coin is physically indistinguishable from a standard GML except for the privy mark. At 999.9 purity, it matches the standard Maple Leaf's fineness (the standard GML actually achieves 999.99, five nines, which is the highest purity of any regular-issue sovereign bullion coin). The RCM refines its own gold from raw ore to finished coin, and the single-source segregation adds an additional layer of documentation to this already vertically integrated process.

Single Sourced Mine Gold Coin Tax Treatment

The Single Sourced Mine coin receives identical tax treatment to the standard Gold Maple Leaf across all jurisdictions. The provenance programme does not affect tax classification.

• Canada: GST/HST exempt as Canadian legal tender gold at 99.5% purity or higher. Capital gains taxed at a 50% inclusion rate (66.67% above $250,000 CAD for individuals, from June 2024). Physical bullion cannot be held in RRSPs or TFSAs.
• United States: IRA-eligible. Meets IRS purity requirements for gold (99.5% minimum) and is government-issued by a sovereign mint. Must be held by an approved custodian. Capital gains taxed at the collectibles rate of up to 28%. State sales tax varies; over 40 states exempt bullion.
• United Kingdom: VAT-exempt as investment gold. Not CGT-exempt (only UK legal tender coins qualify). UK buyers seeking CGT-free gold should consider the 1 oz Gold Britannia.
• European Union: VAT-exempt as investment gold under Directive 98/80/EC. LBMA compliance adds institutional credibility for European buyers.
• Australia: GST-free as investment-grade gold. CGT applies with a 50% discount for holdings over 12 months.
• New Zealand: GST-exempt at 99.5% purity or higher. No formal capital gains tax.
• Singapore: GST-exempt under the IPM scheme. No capital gains tax.
• Hong Kong: No sales tax, no import duty, no capital gains tax.

Single Sourced Mine vs Standard Maple Leaf and Other 1 oz Gold Coins

The most relevant comparison is with the standard 1 oz Gold Maple Leaf. The two coins share identical specifications: same weight, purity, diameter, thickness, face value, and the same security technology including Bullion DNA verification. The differences are the single-source privy mark, the verified mine provenance, and a modest premium of approximately $20-50 USD above the standard Gold Maple Leaf price.

Whether that premium is justified depends on the buyer's priorities. For investors focused purely on acquiring gold at the lowest possible premium, the standard Maple Leaf delivers the same 999.9 fine gold with the same security features for less money. For buyers who value supply chain transparency, ESG credentials, or the story behind their gold, the Single Sourced Mine offers something no other sovereign mint product does: a named mine of origin with full chain-of-custody documentation.

No other sovereign mint worldwide offers a comparable single-mine provenance programme. The Perth Mint Kangaroo, the 1 oz Gold Britannia, and the American Gold Eagle do not disclose the source mines for their gold. PAMP Suisse markets "responsibly sourced" gold bars but does not identify specific mines. The RCM's programme is unique in providing this level of traceability to retail buyers.

Against the broader field of 1 oz gold coins, the Single Sourced Mine competes on provenance rather than price. It carries the same Bullion DNA technology that gives the Maple Leaf an edge in authentication over the Britannia's visual features, and the same IRA eligibility that the Krugerrand lacks. The ESG positioning makes it particularly relevant for buyers in markets where responsible sourcing is a growing priority, including the UK and EU.