While gold mining production in the Klondike peaked and then ebbed, renewed calls for a Dominion mint prompted the establishment of the Ottawa branch of the Royal Mint, which officially opened on January 2, 1908.

A variety of bullion coins and bars are available to purchase through select dealers. The retail price of bullion products is based on the international gold, silver and platinum market prices, which vary daily. Bullion coins do not have any fixed mintage unless otherwise stated.

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A history of refinement

The Klondike Gold Rush (1896-1899) heightened interest in Canada’s mineral wealth, but miners had grown increasingly frustrated with the lack of a domestic market and the exorbitant expense of exporting gold. While gold mining production in the Klondike peaked and then ebbed, renewed calls for a Dominion mint prompted the establishment of the Ottawa branch of the Royal Mint, which officially opened on January 2, 1908.

A necessary addition for transforming doré bars into coinage-quality gold, an on-site refinery was completed in 1911 – in time to become an important part of the Ottawa Mint’s operations during the First World War, when its gold bars helped pay Britain’s war debts. In 1919, it was first recognized by the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) as a Good Delivery refinery; to this day, the Royal Canadian Mint has maintained its position on that list of accredited gold refiners.

Work on a new refinery was completed in 1936, and it was in this facility that the recently renamed Royal Canadian Mint began pushing boundaries: in the mid-1960s, it upped the purity of its gold bars from .995 to .9999 fine; in 1982, it was the first in the world to produce .9999 bullion coins; and in 1998, it was the first to achieve the unprecedented level of purity of .99999 fine (99.999% or ‘five nines’ pure).

Since its inception as a response to the Klondike gold boom, the Royal Canadian Mint has emerged as a global leader in bullion investment products, its reputation for exceptional quality supported by its ISO 9001-accredited refinery facility and advanced assay lab.