Silver Maple Leaf "Replica", $79.99?!

A proof finish isn't purely cosmetic. The grains on the metal are smooooooth. So comparing a proof finish to a paint job on a car is not a fair comparison (a better comparison would be to replace steel with aluminum and plastics parts; cheaper but at the cost of your safety). People have to understand that not only are you paying for something that gets mined out of the ground but you're paying for the extra work it takes to bring those dies into production. Wouldn't it be nice if you could get a sweet product for almost free?

Whenever one orders metal in a certain form it will cost more, and finished products will obviously cost the most because it's at the retail level. The metal itself isn't always what gives an object its price; it's the labor that goes into it. A lot of times my components cost 2-2.5 the spot price and that gets marked up as well. We're talking about blanking out planchets, deburring, tumbling, annealing, designing and making master dies then the hubs et cetera, pressing out coin after coin, there's quality control for proof coins, and packaging, shipping... and I haven't even touched upon the spot price, which is irrelevant. All you see is machines pumping out the coins but who maintains the machines...

I have seen this coin in person and it is very nice. It has a nice strike but the finish isn't as distinct as the f12 and f15 reverse proofs. For me its too expensive for a 1oz coin with a reused design and such a high mintage. Even the 2014 silver eagle proof is being issued at just over 50 bucks. Plus the whole marketing of it as a replica to me is pretty brainless.

Buy a silver coin replica at more than three times the regular price. Act now as this is a limited time offer. In 6 months, it will cost you even less.

The whole reason I purchase maples is for investment of the raw mineral. The face value is like a warranty. To serialize this particular coin or make it a limited edition or put a clock in it for that matter won't do much to encourage me to buy is since it's not in essence why I buy them. The Mint wants us to see things their way. It seems it's more difficult to find a buyer for premiums unless it's quite rare. I'd love to see this coin go unsold.

That's fine, since I ordered my copy.
Better unsold, means the final mintage will decrease, rather then sold-out and decreasing the value like most of the RCM NCLT coins.
"Rare" better than "unwanted".
2009 Summer Moon Mask vs 2013 Grandmother Moon Mask ....the second wasn't so lucky, over-hyped and hoarded by the dealers and flippers, now majority of the completed listings on ebay under the issue.

This has nothing to do with the "Mint Products vs. Bullion" argument. This is a REPLICA of a $25 coin that costs $80. Even if you argue that the finish differentiates it, you can get more desirable reverse proof finishes with much higher appreciation potential for far, far less. I am willing to buy someone one of this coin in 5 years if it is selling for more than 10% of bullion.

This is Replica, only because RCM called it "replica" in their brochure...

I call "numismatic item", or let's say "semi-numismatic item" because:
different finish
lower mintage
encapsulated with attached COA (is it numbered?)
and I want to believe - the SML on the coin more detailed

This is similar to "2012 Penny Special Roll"

And not similar to Bullion coins in F15 collection, that simple bullion (ASE, Britannia, Philharmonics, Libertad) was presented as premium item and charged almost $100

Had a look at one today at the post office not worth the money.

nice coin to much $$$$$$$$$$$