Piedfort coins, whose name comes from the French for "heavy measure", originated in medieval Europe. Coin-makers deliberately made their die templates thick and heavy to ensure they would not be confused with regular coins.

This added weight and substance caught the eyes of kings and nobles and soon piedforts were being displayed in the lavish courts of Europe as enviable symbols of wealth and power—a fascinating history that has been crafted into these exceptionally thick and heavy pure gold and silver coins.

*NOTE: Traditionally, a piedfort is a piece struck of a planchet that is thicker than normal; piedforts are typically twice the thickness of a regular coin. In this case, our 2010 Silver Maple Leaf piedfort is the same diameter as a half-ounce SML but contains double the amount of pure silver, making it significantly thicker, which is typical of the piedfort style.