History & collecting context
Four-nines pioneer.
The 2026 issue is one chapter in the series. The Royal Canadian Mint introduced the Silver Maple Leaf in 1988. It was the first widely issued bullion coin struck in .9999 fine silver, setting a purity benchmark that later became familiar across modern bullion.
Walter Ott’s maple leaf fills the reverse, while the obverse portrait changes with Canada’s monarch. Later issues added radial line engraving and a micro-engraved maple security mark, making the series a useful timeline of the Mint’s anti-counterfeit work as well as an annual bullion set.
Primary referenceRoyal Canadian Mint — Silver Maple Leaf history↗