Canadian $5 Maple Leaf Coins 1988-1997 Value?

Silver is $29.50 or so per ounce right now. New silver maple leaf coins can be purchased for approx. $31 cdn. per coin, depending on the qty. you buy.
Older SML coins are often purchased for approx. the same price - sometimes a few dollars more on ebay for instance. The 1996 and 1997 years typically sell for a premium due to their much lower mintage.

Regular SML's are generally bullion items so the nusimismatic value is usually minimal, but you may be able to get a slight premium for older dates (esp. 96 & 97) in good condition. SML's with privy marks or special designs generally attract better prices.

Do you have a picture of the set? The presentation may add some value and would be interesting to see.

Hey,
Thanks for all the responses. The thing that's kinda me out is the disparity between the prices I see online. For example, after looking around, and getting some advice here I decided that €30 per coin excluding the 1996 and 1997 mints was a decent selling price. Next thing though, I see this page: https://www.thelondoncoincompany.co...e=10&id=3120

on which the 1989 version is being offered for almost £200! How on earth can a company hope to attract bidders for an item when they are charging over 6 times the ostensible market price? Or am I missing something?

Apologies for asking what are probably really noob questions, but what constitutes an ordinary coin? And why is PR69 so special? Is it the year inw hich its minted, the quality of the coin, or a combo of both?

My coins are all mint and uncirculated, and protected in plastic cases. One or two of them are slightly tarnished which presume means the cases aren't entirely air proof. None of them have ever been opened though.

Would anyone be able to tell me why the grade PR69 is so special, and whether my coins would approach such a level? Thanks again. And sorry for pestering with noob questions!!

Coins are graded on a scale of 1 to 70; the grading scale is called the Sheldon Scale (try a search to find sites that discuss the scale in depth). In short, a grade of "1" is assigned to a coin that is extremely worn and has almost no detail of its original design left. Conversely, a grade of "70" is used for a coin that shows no signs of wear and is without any type of surface imperfection (e.g., scratches or dings). The grades from 60 to 70 are reserved for coins that are in "mint state" or "uncirculated." The grades below 60 are used for coins that have been in circulation or have experienced some loss of metal from being handled.

In VERY general terms, coins struck for circulation are less common in higher grades than they are in lower grades. The opposite is true for most modern coins struck specifically for collectors as they are specially packaged at their respective mint to protect them from the typical damage that occurs from touching/handling them.

Because of this special handling, many modern coins receive grades of "MS-69" or "Proof 69" -- it is actually often the most common grade assigned for many modern issues by grading services such as PCGS and NGC. Even though they are not scarce, collectors often do pay a bit more for "69" coins because they represent very nice examples of the coin and are thus desirable.

It's very likely your coins were packaged outside of the Royal Canadian Mint by a third-party (based on the appearance of the case). The coins may have picked up a few stray marks while being handled to put them in the capsules. From the photos you've provided, it's impossible to estimate the grades your coins would receive from one of the grading services -- even just a few small marks can drop a coin's grade a point or two.

The PF-69 coin you referenced was a one-year type to mark the SML's 10th anniversary; it was struck as a Proof coin which is a different method of striking coins vs. the standard method used for the coins in your set. The '89 Proof was also struck in smaller numbers vs. the standard Maple Leaf coins.

Hope this helps a bit!