50 Dollars - Elizabeth II 3rd Portrait, GML Bullion Coinage

The Royal Canadian Mint introduced the Maple Leaf series in 1979 specifically to challenge the Krugerrand's dominance in the global bullion market — at the time, South Africa held a near-monopoly on investor-grade gold coins. Canada's decision to strike at .9999 fineness rather than the Krugerrand's .9167 gave buyers a measurable purity advantage and helped establish a new benchmark that competitors including the American Eagle and Australian Nugget would later adopt. By the mid-1980s, the Maple Leaf had become the world's best-selling gold bullion coin.

The third portrait, by effigy sculptor Dora de Pédery-Hunt, was adopted in 1990 and remained current through 2003.