Gold Eagle vs Maple Leaf: which is better?

The American Gold Eagle and the Canadian Gold Maple Leaf are the two best-known 1 oz coins in North America, and they are built on opposite ideas. The US Mint chose a tough 22 carat alloy and made the coin heavier to keep a full ounce of gold inside. The Royal Canadian Mint went for 99.99% purity, which helps with tax and resale but leaves a softer coin. This page sets the official specs side by side, then compares real dealer premiums, buy-back prices and tax rules in four countries.

How do the Eagle and Maple Leaf specs compare?

Sources: US Mint specifications and 2021 press release; Royal Canadian Mint product page. Neither mint's page lists thickness.

The weight gap surprises many first-time buyers. An Eagle weighs about 2.8 g more than a Maple Leaf, yet both contain the same ounce of gold. The difference is alloy: the silver and copper in the Eagle add bulk and hardness but no gold value. For full details on each coin, see our guides to the American Gold Eagle and the Gold Maple Leaf.

Which coin is more durable?

The Eagle. Pure gold is soft, so a 99.99% Maple Leaf picks up scratches and rim knocks from ordinary handling, and loose coins mark each other when stacked. The Eagle's 22 carat alloy resists that wear, which is why it keeps a cleaner look after years in a drawer. For bullion, light marks do not change the gold content, but a dealer may pay a little less for a visibly damaged coin. Keep either coin in its capsule or mint tube.

Which coin is harder to fake?

The Maple Leaf has more built-in checks. Its radial lines shimmer evenly when tilted, a small laser-engraved maple leaf on the reverse shows the last two digits of the year under magnification, and the mint's Bullion DNA system lets equipped dealers check 2014 and later coins against a database. The US Mint says its 2021 redesign introduced anti-counterfeiting features, including a reeded edge variation on the 1 oz coin. For both coins, weight and diameter are still the quickest home tests: 33.931 g and 32.70 mm for the Eagle, 31.11 g and 30 mm for the Maple Leaf. More methods are in how to tell if gold is real.

What are the two coins worth today?

A coin's melt value is the value of its gold at the live spot price (the wholesale price for one troy ounce). Because each 1 oz coin holds exactly one ounce, both have the same melt value.

Spot-based melt values, not dealer buy or sell prices. Last updated: Loading. Value a mixed holding with the coin melt value calculator.

Which coin costs less over spot?

The premium is what you pay above melt value. Our automated GoldVetted price checks read the single-coin price on each dealer's product page. We captured Eagles at US dealers and Maple Leafs at Canadian dealers, because that is where each coin is sold in volume, so the table shows each coin in its home market.

Spot (gold-api.com): $4,195.60 on 10 October; CA$5,978.73 on 11 October; CA$5,964.19 on 12 October. TD's figure is its customer price when paying from a TD account. JM Bullion's site does not allow automated price checks, so we do not publish a premium for it. We did not capture Eagle prices in Canada or Maple Leaf prices in the US. More dates: premium tracker.

The cheapest Maple Leaf we found carried about half the premium of the cheapest Eagle, but the bigger lesson is about payment. Paying by card added roughly 4% at every online dealer above, which is more than the whole wire premium at SD Bullion or Gold Stock Canada. Bank buyers should note that TD sat above both online Canadian dealers; our TD Precious Metals review covers its terms. A follow-up automated check on 12 October found almost the same picture: Eagles at 3.41% (SD Bullion) and 5.66% (APMEX), Maple Leafs at 1.76% (Gold Stock Canada) and 3.19% (Canadian PMX).

See Maple Leaf prices at Gold Stock Canada

Which coin sells back for more?

When you sell, a dealer pays a buy-back price, usually a little below spot. Kitco publishes its buy prices for named coins, which lets us compare the two directly on the same day.

Source: Kitco's online sell page, read by our automated check. Older 99.9% Maple Leafs were bid lower than modern 99.99% coins.

Kitco paid $62.63 more for a modern Maple Leaf than for an Eagle. Put the buy and sell sides together and the round trip matters more than either number alone. An Eagle bought at SD Bullion for $4,335.39 by wire and sold to Kitco the next day for $4,091.99 would have lost $243.40, or 5.6% of the purchase price, with spot almost unchanged. That gap is the dealer spread. Other buyers may bid differently, so compare offers using our guide to selling gold in the US or selling gold in Canada, and our Kitco review.

How are the Eagle and Maple Leaf taxed in each country?

Canada. This is where the two coins differ most. CRA Memorandum 17-1 exempts gold of at least 99.5% purity, so the Maple Leaf is bought without GST/HST. The Eagle is 91.67% gold, so a registered dealer adds GST or HST at your provincial rate, which wipes out any premium advantage. Our page on Canada gold tax rules explains the details.

United States. Both coins are taxed the same way when sold: the IRS treats gains on bullion as collectibles, taxed at up to 28% if held for more than a year. Both qualify for an IRA, but for different reasons. The Eagle is named in the law, so its 22 carat alloy does not matter. The Maple Leaf passes the separate 99.5% fineness test for bullion. In both cases the trustee must hold the coins.

United Kingdom. Both are VAT free, and neither is free of Capital Gains Tax, because HMRC treats foreign currency coins as chargeable assets. Our UK gold tax guide covers the CGT-free alternatives.

Which should you choose?

For most buyers the choice comes down to tax first, then price on the day. Compare live premiums before you order, and pay by wire or bank transfer where you can. If you are weighing other US options, see American Eagle vs Buffalo or Krugerrand vs Gold Eagle, or browse all our comparisons.

Compare Gold Eagle prices at SD Bullion

Not financial advice. GoldVetted provides general information to help you compare options. It is not personal financial, tax or legal advice. Gold prices go down as well as up, and you may get back less than you pay. Check tax rules with the official source or a qualified adviser before you act.