This new Canadian coin looks like a dark penny but it’s worth a whole lot more

The Royal Canadian Mint just dropped a new coin, and at first glance, it kind of looks like a fancier, blacked-out version of the penny that disappeared from Canadian pockets over a decade ago.

It’s called the Triple Maple, and the 2026 edition comes with a new twist: black rhodium plating, making for a finish that gives the coin a matte black background so the maple leaves on it stand out. It’s a 1 oz coin made from 99.99% pure silver, weighing in at 31.39 grams with a 38 mm diameter and a serrated edge.

The design itself comes from retired senior engraver Stan Witten, who arranged, sketched, and sculpted three overlapping sugar maple leaves for the coin’s reverse side.

The leaves are tilted to the right, giving the impression that they’re either falling or have just landed, while still showing off the fine detail in their vein pattern. Witten has said the inspiration came from his own backyard in Ottawa, where he gathered fallen leaves one autumn and used them as the starting point for the design.

Triple Maple Fine Silver Coin.Royal Canadian Mint

The sugar maple, for what it’s worth, is arguably the most recognizable maple species in the country. It’s the tree behind most of Canada’s maple syrup production, and it grows in abundance across the eastern forests in provinces like Quebec.

The coin’s obverse side keeps the black rhodium background, paired with a silver effigy of King Charles III designed by Canadian artist Steven Rosati.

Triple Maple Fine Silver Coin.Royal Canadian Mint

Not something you’ll find in your change

Despite carrying a $20 face value, this isn’t a coin that’s going into circulation. Unlike the FIFA World Cup loonie, you won’t find it in your change after a cash purchase or get one from a bank rolled up with your quarters.

Instead, it’s sold directly through the Mint, either online or in person at its boutique locations in Ottawa or Winnipeg, and it isn’t cheap. The coin retails for $269.95 CAD, comes packaged in a black clamshell case inside a black presentation box, and ships only within Canada and the US.

There’s also a hard cap on how many exist. The Mint capped the mintage at 7,000 coins worldwide, which is part of why collectors tend to move quickly on releases like this one.

If $269.95 feels like a lot for a coin with three leaves on it, it’s worth knowing this isn’t even the priciest version. The Mint also released a 5 oz silver edition of the same design for $1,189.95, with a mintage of just 1,550, and a 1 oz pure gold version priced at $8,619.95, limited to only 550 coins.

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This story was inspired by the article “This new Canadian coin looks like a fancy black penny and it’s worth much more than one cent” which was originally published on Narcity.