2023 Super Incuse MAPLE LEAF; 1 Ounce Black Rhodium Reverse Proof; $20 Canada

Description

Metal                    Silver

Purity                   0.9999 (99.99%)

Weight                 1 Troy oz (31,1 g)

Dimensions          36 mm

Attributes             Reverse Proof, Black Rhodium

Mintage                8000

Packaging             Box and CoA

While not yet official, it is extremely likely that 2023 will be the last year that the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) strikes the late Queen Elizabeth II’s effigy on the obverse of its ever-popular Maple Leaf coin series. This 2023 Super Incuse Maple struck uses the same groundbreaking technology seen on the 2021 and 2022 Super Incuse Maples. The 2023 version is crafted with a selective arrangement of black rhodium plating embodying the feeling of mourning. On the reverse, a lonely, black maple leaf struck deep into the center of the coin seems to represent a country still grieving. Yet on the obverse, black fields and a polished effigy presents Queen Elizabeth II as a radiant silver light shining in the darkness.

Rhodium is the rarest of all non-radioactive metals. In order to achieve this dark, near-black look, layers of black rhodium are built up to a precise level to achieve just the right color—presenting a special challenge for RCM engineers who successfully found a way to apply this rhodium plating with the same consistency on every coin. The look is amazing thanks in part to the reverse proof finish exhibited by each coin. Different from a regular proof coin that features frosted details rising over mirror-like fields, a reverse proof displays mirror-like details rising over frosted fields.