The 1947 Maple Leaf refers to a set of Canadian coins dated 1947 which bear a tiny maple leaf

Maple leaf

The maple leaf is the characteristic leaf of the maple tree, and is the most widely recognized national symbol of Canada.-Use in Canada:At the beginning of the eighteenth century, the settlements of New France had attained a population of about 18,000...

 following the date to denote that they were actually minted in 1948.

Prior to 1948, the obverse

Obverse and reverse

Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags , seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, obverse means the front face of the object and reverse...

 legend surrounding the bust of George VI

George VI of the United Kingdom

George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...

 on Canadian coins read "GEORGIVS VI D:G:REX ET IND:IMP" ("George VI By the Grace of God, King and Emperor of India"). With India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 gaining independence from the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 in 1947, the legend had to be modified for the 1948 coins to remove "ET IND:IMP", and as the Royal Canadian Mint

Royal Canadian Mint

The Royal Canadian Mint produces all of Canada's circulation coins, and manufactures circulation coins on behalf of other nations. The Mint also designs and manufactures: precious and base metal collector coins; gold, silver, palladium, and platinum bullion coins; medals, as well as medallions and...

 waited for the modified matrices

Matrix (numismatics)

In numismatics, a matrix is an intermediate used in the process of manufacturing coins.A matrix has its design in the same sense as a die. The design is engraved convex into the matrix, which is used to create punches. The matrix step was developed in the 17th century for two main reasons...

 and punches

Punch (numismatics)

In numismatics, a punch is an intermediate used in the process of manufacturing coins.A punch has its design in cameo, much like on the coins themselves. Prior to the use of punches, each die was individually engraved and when a die wore out, another one had to be engraved to replace it, and the...

 from the Royal Mint

Royal Mint

The Royal Mint is the body permitted to manufacture, or mint, coins in the United Kingdom. The Mint originated over 1,100 years ago, but since 2009 it operates as Royal Mint Ltd, a company which has an exclusive contract with HM Treasury to supply all coinage for the UK...

 in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, demand for new coinage rose. To satisfy this demand, the RCM struck coins using the 1947 dies with the leaf added to signify the incorrect date. Normal 1948 coins were minted and issued once the modified matrices and punches arrived.