24K versus 22K Gold Coins

What has the most gold: 22 carat gold coins or 24 carat gold coins?

When people hear that a Canadian Maple Leaf coin is a 24K gold coin, while a Krugerrand is only a 22K, they immediately assume a Krugerrand has less gold than a Canadian Maple Leaf. Although this might seem logical, both coins contain exactly the same amount of gold. Any "One Ounce" gold bullion coin contains the same amount of gold as any other "One Ounce" gold bullion coin. The difference is that a 22 carat gold coin also contains 1/11 of an ounce of "base" metal along with the gold. This base metal is normally copper, but sometimes a small amount of silver may be added.

How do we tell 22 carat and 24 carat gold coins apart?

Along with the South African Krugerrands, both American Eagles and British Britannias are composed of 22 carat gold. In contrast, along with the Canadian Maples, the Austrian Philharmonics, Australian Nuggets, and Chinese Pandas are composed of 24 carat gold.

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