The world’s largest gold coin to be auctioned at the Dorotheum

On June 25, 2010, the world’s largest gold coin, a 2007 Canadian $ 1,000.000 Maple Leaf is to be auctioned at Vienna’s Dorotheum.

This coin breaks all records: It weighs a staggering 100 kilos and measures 53 cm in diameter. But the most remarkable thing about this impressive coin, which cannot even be lifted by two men, is that it is made exclusively of the purest, finest and most refined gold: 999.99/1000 gold.
The world record-breaking coin, which is also listed in the current edition of the Guinness Book of Records, bears the image of Elisabeth II, the largest official portrait of the Queen in solid gold. The back shows three maple leaves, the national symbol of Canada, where the coin was minted. The face value of $ 1 million is far below the current gold price. The starting price will be based on the daily gold rate.

This gigantic Maple Leaf was on loan to the ‘Münzkabinett’ of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, which houses one of the largest numismatic collections in the world. The impressive coin has now been entrusted to the Dorotheum. The Dorohteum, the leading auction house in central Europe has been holding important coin auctions with historic coins for more than 200 years. Fittingly, the high-carat coin will come under the hammer at a diamond auction. 

Auction:
The world’s largest gold coin, June 25, 2010, 14 h.

Expert:
Michael Beckers (MA)Tel+ 43-1-515 60-424

Location:
Palais Dorotheum, Dorotheergasse 17, A-1010 Vienna

Press:
Doris Krumpl (MA) Tel. + 43-1-515 60-449, doris.krumpl@dorotheum.at

Description:

Canada, 1 Million Dollar 2007 Maple Leaf

Obverse: ELIZABETH II 1 MILLION DOLLARS 2007 1 MILLION DE DOLLARS, Bust of Queen Elisabeth II wearing a pearl necklace, right profile. Signed S. B. on the neck.

Reverse: CANADA FINE GOLD 100 KG OR PUR, three Canadian maple leaves on a branch. Right and left 99999, signature SW on the right.

Material: 99999 pure gold bullion ("five nine")
Diameter: approx. 53 cm
Width: aprox. 3 cm
Weight: 100 kg
Number of coins produced: 5
Production technique: Cast, reworked and polished by hand

Artists involved:
Obverse: Susanna Blunt (artist, design)
Reverse: Stan Witten (senior engraver, engraving)

The 1 million dollar 2007 maple leaf coin is currently:

- the world’s largest gold coin
- the world’s heaviest gold coin
- the coin with the world’s purest gold
- one of the world’s rarest coins. (One of the coins is also owned by Queen Elisabeth II.)

On 25th June 2010, at 2:00 pm at the Dorotheum in Vienna, one of these rare coins will be auctioned for the first time. Like other gold coins, such as the Wiener Philharmoniker (1,000 ounces = approx. 31.1 kg), this coin is so rare that, to date, it has never yet come up for sale at auction. For those trying to envisage how much gold this coin contains: It weighs as much as 28,653 ordinary ducats, but because of the purity of the gold it could be used to produce a far greater number.

The starting price will reflect the market price for bullion on the day of the auction.