Previously, platinum was an appreciating asset which was rare and therefore the best metal investment, with gold coming second and silver lagging behind in third place. However, this previously third class metal is now rising in value because it's becoming the rarest metal available. This is due to its wide industrial uses in cellular phone batteries, motors and DVDs, not to mention jewellery. It's a perfect conductor and is used this way widely.
The problem with this is that its supply is shrinking quickly, to the point that it's becoming endangered. The all important law of supply and demand is muscling in on this market, causing the metal's price to sky rocket. In 2011 it was worth $50.
It's still not reached its peak and predictions state confidently that it will continue to rise as it becomes more and more endangered. It's a fairly expensive purchase right now, but its value is set to grow, which means it promises excellent investment value. Its pattern of growth is obvious in 2012, during which it has risen steeply, with only slight drops which were short lasting. It reached its high on 2 February 2012.
The bullion is among the purest ever minted, with a troy ounce of . 9999. Apart from that, it's also exceedingly beautiful, making it a highly sought after collectors' item. There are many who would never consider selling them. On its face, it features an image of Queen Elizabeth II while on the other side it shows one of Canada's national symbols, the maple leaf.
Monex sells them in a minimum set of 100 one ounce coins, which will be delivered by the company personally. They are virtually perfect technically and are thus highly prized. Other suppliers do sell them in smaller quantities. These are all on line.
Value tends to rise and fall depending on the year in which they were minted. The 1996 and 1997 mints were extremely pricey because few were produced. Certain coins were limited to European markets.
Images have been changed over the years, too, with pictures of Queen Elizabeth II as a young woman, as well as one from when she was of age. Some leaves were imprinted in color during certain years, varying according to season. Autumn leaves were red, while spring leaves were green.
There has been an Olympic version, Zodiac sets and anniversary designs. The Chinese Zodiac has also been represented. Collectors might search for specific mints accordingly, rather than purchasing the most recent one, so that they can optimize their investment and collectors' value.
It doesn't really matter what one's reason for buying the striking and rare silver maple leaf, as it will remain among the best investments one can make. It's size makes it an asset that's easily stored and it doesn't increase one's paper pile. The bullion's rarity is only set to increase.