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Rules for Shipping Coins to Canada

Shipping coins to Canada has become very commonplace with the assistance of the Internet and online sales and auction sites such as eBay and Craigslist. As a result, sellers and traders should have an understanding of the postal rules with our northern neighbor. Otherwise, a seemingly smooth transaction can get ugly with one party waiting for a coin that won't arrive, and a second party having to pay for the cost of shipping again due to a mistake.

Postal Restrictions in General
- Standard Canadian postal rules cover all sorts of currency. This includes coins and currency paper. It also includes cashier's checks, valuable metals, bullion, investments and related documentation. The one exception to the matter is that coins being transacted specifically between collectors or dealers can be shipped in regular packaging. However, keep in mind this doesn't include insurance, which is recommended when shipping a valuable coin. If insured, you will have to declare the contents, which in turn can trigger the second hurdle: taxes.
  
  Gold bullion in particular and in any condition (coin, ingot, dust or rock), according to the U.S. Postal Service, is prohibited from shipping to Canada. However, in the same section of rules on their website, the U.S. Postal Service also requires that currency be sent via registered mail only, and gold is included in this subsection, at least in currency form.
Postal Taxes
- Post offices collect fees, but they also make sure to collect taxes on items coming into a country. This is a form of import tax. Even though you're not using a shipping container on a boat to move the goods into a dock, shipping items into Canada does make them eligible for import taxes.
  
  In general, the Canadian post office allows for certain thresholds. Those packages worth less than $20 in Canadian currency are not taxed at all. The cost is purely the shipping fee which you pay yourself when sending. Items that exceed the $20 CDN level get taxed. However, there is the exception of items clearly labeled as gifts. Gifts can be worth as much as $60 in Canadian currency before being taxed.
Beware Inspection
- At this point it may seem tempting to label the word "gift" on every package you send to Canada with a coin. Don't. Postal inspectors have every authority to open up your package and do so on a regular basis. If they determine you are cheating the system, at the least your package will get returned. At worst, you could get arrested for postal fraud.
The Charge Process
- When an item is determined to be taxable, either being a commercial or personal shipment, Canadian postal agencies will collect a $5 CDN fee and relevant duties and taxes based on weight and item declared. You have to fill out a form attached to the package declaring the items inside and sign it. This process applies to items worth less than $1,600 CDN.
  
  Express and expedited international packages will have a slightly higher charge of $8 CDN plus taxes.
  
  For those items that exceed $1,600 in value, automatic delivery is a no-go. Instead, Canadian postal agencies will hold the item and notify the recipient to provide documentation and payments up front. Many times the package is handed over to Canadian Customs for safekeeping in the meantime.
Insurance
- Make sure to insure your coin so that if it gets lost you have some recourse when shipping to any country, including Canada. Work with your postal service to do your shipping the right way. It's a lot easier to argue that you followed documented instructions than to try to wiggle your way out of a clear violation.

Coin Collecting