Fineness: What 9999 and 999 Mean in Canada

Fineness is the share of pure gold, silver or platinum in a coin or bar, written in parts per thousand, such as 999.9 for 99.99% pure gold. It tells you how much of the weight is precious metal and how much is alloy.

How fineness is written

Fineness uses a scale of 1,000. A stamp of 999.9 (often shown as "9999") means 999.9 parts in every 1,000 are gold, or 99.99%. Bullion is usually marked this way, while jewellery in Canada is usually marked in karats or in decimals such as .583 for 14K.

Mark	Purity	Typical example
999.9	99.99%	Royal Canadian Mint Gold and Silver Maple Leaf
999	99.9%	Many cast silver bars; the minimum for silver to count as precious metal for GST/HST
995	99.5%	Minimum for LBMA Good Delivery gold bars and for gold to count as precious metal for GST/HST
916.7	91.67% (22K)	Gold Krugerrand, American Gold Eagle
750	75% (18K)	Fine jewellery
583	58.3% (14K)	Jewellery
416	41.6% (10K)	Jewellery

Why fineness matters more in Canada

In most places fineness only affects how much metal you get. In Canada it also decides the GST/HST treatment. Gold and platinum must be at least 99.5% pure and silver at least 99.9%, in bar, ingot, coin or wafer form, to be "precious metal" under the Excise Tax Act. Clear that line and the sale is generally exempt; miss it and GST or HST usually applies at your province's rate. That is why a 916.7 Krugerrand often costs more than a 999.9 Maple Leaf with the same fine gold content. The full rules are in GST/HST on gold.

Worked example with fixed numbers: a 100 g cast bar marked 999.9 holds 99.99 g of fine gold. A 100 g item at 916.7 holds 91.67 g. The 8.32 g gap is roughly a quarter of a troy ounce, which is why you should always compare price per gram of fine metal, not per gram of the object. Our gold price per gram in CAD shows the fine-metal benchmark.

Who checks the marks in Canada?

Under the Precious Metals Marking Act, marking an article for quality is not mandatory. If a maker or importer does apply a quality mark, it must also apply a registered Canadian trademark, and the Competition Bureau sets the tolerances: for gold, the article can fall short of the mark by no more than 3 parts per 1,000 without solder. Canada has no compulsory hallmarking, so the name behind the stamp matters.

For bullion, buy products whose maker is easy to verify. Royal Canadian Mint bullion coins carry security features such as radial lines and a micro-engraved maple leaf mark, and bars from refiners on the LBMA Good Delivery list carry a recognized brand. For second-hand coins, checking weight, diameter and thickness against the mint's specification is the first defence. Our guide to spotting a fake Gold Maple Leaf walks through those tests. When buying new, a dealer listed in our gold coin price comparison removes most of that risk.

FAQ

What does 9999 mean on gold?

It means the gold is 999.9 parts per 1,000 pure, or 99.99% gold, which is the standard for the Royal Canadian Mint's Gold Maple Leaf.

Is 999 silver exempt from GST/HST in Canada?

Yes, silver of at least 99.9% purity in bar, ingot, coin or wafer form meets the definition of precious metal, and its sale is generally exempt.

Does Canada hallmark gold?

Not compulsorily. Quality marking is voluntary under the Precious Metals Marking Act, but an article that carries a quality mark must also carry a registered Canadian trademark.

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