5 Dollars - Elizabeth II 2nd Portrait, GML Bullion Coinage

Canada's .9999 fine gold Maple Leaf series, launched in 1979, was a direct commercial challenge to the South African Krugerrand, which at the time dominated the bullion market but was increasingly subject to international trade restrictions tied to apartheid-era sanctions. The Royal Canadian Mint recognized an opening and deliberately matched — then exceeded — the Krugerrand's .9167 fineness, making the Maple Leaf the purest gold bullion coin commercially available at its launch.

The 1/10 oz denomination was added in 1982 as a lower entry point for retail investors. KM#135 runs through 1989, the year the mint introduced privy-marked and special issues that began fragmenting the series into collector subsets.