Devil's Brigade Gold

The Devil's Brigade Gold Commemorative Coin

The Devil's Brigade is a commemorative bullion coin from the Royal Canadian Mint honouring the First Special Service Force (FSSF), a joint American-Canadian commando unit from World War II. The gold version is struck in .9999 fine gold at 1/10oz (3.11g), carrying a $5 CAD face value as official Canadian legal tender backed by the Government of Canada. A 1/4oz gold proof edition (limited to 2,000 pieces) was also produced.

The FSSF was formed in July 1942 at Fort William Henry Harrison near Helena, Montana, consisting of approximately 1,400 American and Canadian troops trained in mountain warfare, demolitions, amphibious operations, and close combat. German soldiers nicknamed the unit Die Schwarze Teufel (The Black Devils) after their blackened-face night raids at Anzio during the Italian campaign. The unit saw action in the Aleutian Islands, Italy (including Monte la Difensa and Anzio), and Operation Dragoon in southern France before being disbanded in December 1944 in Menton, France.

The RCM launched this series in 2013, the same year Congress awarded the FSSF a Congressional Gold Medal. Production continued through approximately 2018, with consistent design across all years. The timing reflected an effort to recognise the unit while surviving members, most in their late 80s or 90s by 2013, were still alive. Veterans of the FSSF became founding members of both the US Army Special Forces (Green Berets) and the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command, giving the unit a lasting legacy in both countries' military traditions.

The coin is currently available from dealers as remaining inventory, typically sold as "random year" selections. The 1/10oz gold format positions it as an accessible fractional gold piece with a unique military theme, distinct from the Royal Canadian Mint's standard Maple Leaf range.

Devil's Brigade Gold Coin Specifications

The obverse carries the right-profile portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt, the fourth-generation design used on Canadian coins since 2003, with inscriptions including "ELIZABETH II" and the face value. The reverse features the FSSF spearhead shoulder patch emblem: a red arrowhead with "USA" stitched vertically and "CANADA" running horizontally. Flanking the patch are a US Army star and a Royal Canadian Forces maple leaf, with two crossed arrows below symbolising the warrior spirit. Bilingual text reads "FIRST SPECIAL SERVICE FORCE" and "PREMIERE FORCE DE SERVICE SPECIAL," following the standard requirement for Canadian coinage.

A 1/2oz silver companion coin (.9999 fine, $2 CAD face value, approximately 27mm diameter) was produced alongside the gold versions. The silver coin is sold in individual flips, tubes of 20, or boxes of 240. The 1/2oz silver denomination is unusual for sovereign bullion, as most mints offer 1oz as the standard silver size. The .9999 silver purity exceeds the .999 standard used by many other mints, matching the Royal Canadian Mint's consistent commitment to four-nines fineness across both gold and silver products.

Devil's Brigade Gold Tax Treatment

The Devil's Brigade is official Canadian legal tender at .9999 fine gold purity, giving it a favourable tax position in most jurisdictions.

• Canada: GST/HST-exempt as a legal tender gold coin meeting the 99.5% purity threshold. Eligible for RRSP and TFSA accounts through approved custodians. Capital gains taxed at the 50% inclusion rate (66.67% above CAD 250,000 from June 2024).
• United Kingdom: VAT-exempt as investment gold. It is a post-1800 legal tender coin at .9999 purity, meeting HMRC criteria. Subject to CGT on disposal, as it is not UK legal tender.
• United States: The $5 CAD face value has no US tax relevance. Standard precious metals capital gains rules apply (up to 28% collectibles rate at federal level). The .9999 purity exceeds the IRS 99.5% threshold for precious metals IRAs, though custodian acceptance of this specific coin should be verified. State sales tax varies by jurisdiction.
• European Union: Qualifies as VAT-exempt investment gold (post-1800 legal tender coin at 900+ fineness).
• Australia: GST-free as investment gold at 99.5%+ purity.
• Singapore: Eligible for GST exemption under the IPM scheme if on the MAS-approved list (legal tender coin, .9999 purity). Buyers should verify current listing.
• Hong Kong: No sales tax, no import duty, no capital gains tax.

The First Special Service Force and Its Commemoration

The First Special Service Force was conceived in 1942 as a radical experiment in binational military cooperation. American and Canadian soldiers trained together in one of the war's most intensive programmes, covering mountain warfare, skiing, parachuting, demolitions, and amphibious assault. The unit's first combat deployment was the Aleutian Islands campaign in Alaska, followed by the Italian campaign where it gained its most enduring reputation.

At Monte la Difensa in December 1943, the FSSF accomplished what two previous assaults by conventional forces had failed to achieve, scaling a near-vertical cliff face in darkness to take a fortified German position. At Anzio in early 1944, the unit conducted night raids with blackened faces, leaving calling cards on German positions that read "Das dicke Ende kommt noch" (the worst is yet to come). Interrogated German prisoners confirmed the nickname Die Schwarze Teufel, and captured German diaries showed the unit's raids had a disproportionate psychological impact on the defending forces.

After further action in Operation Dragoon (the Allied invasion of southern France), the FSSF was disbanded on December 5, 1944 in Menton, France. Its operational methods and ethos directly influenced the creation of modern special forces units in both countries. The US Army Special Forces (Green Berets), established in 1952, drew on FSSF veterans and tactics. Canada's Joint Task Force 2 and the broader Canadian Special Operations Forces Command trace philosophical lineage to the same unit.

The 2013 Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honour that Congress can bestow, was awarded to the FSSF collectively. The Royal Canadian Mint's simultaneous launch of the Devil's Brigade coin series ensured that the recognition was marked on both sides of the border. A 1968 film starring William Holden, "The Devil's Brigade," had earlier brought the unit's story to a wider audience, though the coins provided the first official numismatic commemoration.

Devil's Brigade vs Maple Leaf and Other RCM Themed Coins

The Devil's Brigade occupies a different niche from the Royal Canadian Mint's flagship Maple Leaf bullion programme. Both share .9999 purity and the same RCM manufacturing standards, but they serve different buyers. The Maple Leaf is a continuous-production bullion coin with deep global liquidity and the tightest possible bid-ask spreads. The Devil's Brigade is a themed commemorative with limited production years (2013-2018), lower mintage, and a military heritage angle that appeals to collectors as much as investors.

The 1/10oz gold format at $5 CAD face value directly parallels the Maple Leaf 1/10oz, but the Devil's Brigade typically commands a higher premium per ounce due to its limited availability and thematic appeal. Buyers who prioritise lowest cost per gram of gold will consistently prefer the Maple Leaf. Buyers who value the military commemoration, the binational WWII heritage, or the collector potential of a discontinued series will find the premium differential worthwhile.

Within the RCM's broader themed bullion catalogue, the Devil's Brigade sits alongside series such as the Wildlife, Predator, and Birds of Prey ranges. The military theme distinguishes it from these nature-focused alternatives, and the binational significance (honouring both American and Canadian soldiers in a single design) gives it cross-border appeal that purely Canadian-themed coins lack. The US market is a significant buyer of these coins, driven by the American half of the FSSF's heritage and the Congressional Gold Medal connection.

The 1/2oz silver version, also in the Devil's Brigade series, uses an unusual weight for sovereign bullion. Most series offer 1oz as the standard silver denomination. The choice of 1/2oz suggests the RCM positioned it more as a commemorative than a pure stacking product, keeping the entry price accessible while maintaining the .9999 purity that distinguishes RCM products from the .999 standard used by many other mints.