Palladium & Platinum

American Platinum Eagle

Arguably one of the more robust platinum coin collections is the American Platinum Eagle. Introduced in 1997 as the third installment in the American Eagle series behind the Gold Eagle and Silver Eagle, the Platinum Eagle was issued from 1997 to 2008 in both a bullion and proof version with four weights available in each: 1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, and 1/10 oz. The coins all contain .9995 pure platinum content and featured face values based off the $100 (USD) value of the 1 Troy oz coin.

In 2008, the bullion Platinum Eagle was suspended as the US Mint redirected bullion coin efforts toward meeting the sky-high demand for the Gold Eagle and Silver Eagle coins. The Proof Platinum Eagle continued through the depths of the Great Recession, but only as a 1 Troy oz coin. The bullion coin returned 2014, was skipped in 2015, and has now been issued annually again since 2016. As with the Proof Platinum Eagle though, the bullion Platinum Eagle is now also available only in 1 Troy oz.

What makes the American Platinum Eagle Series unique is the designs. The designs of the bullion version have remained constant since 1997. On the obverse is John Mercanti’s depiction of the Statue of Liberty in a close-up view of her face. The reverse includes Thomas D. Rogers’ design of an American bald eagle flying over the nation.

The Proof Platinum Eagle is a distinct program in its own right. It is the only bullion coin from the United States Mint to feature new obverse designs each year and often features a new reverse design as well. Only one design has ever repeated in the Proof Platinum Eagle Series. The 1997 debut featured the same obverse and reverse images as the bullion coin. Similarly, the 2017 Proof Platinum Eagle brought those designs back to the proof collection to mark the 20th anniversary of the program. In general, the United States Mint selects different program themes for its Proof Platinum Eagle Series.

American Palladium Eagle

The United States Mints fourth American Eagle coin is the American Palladium Eagle. Unlike its counterparts in gold, silver, and platinum, the Palladium Eagle has very low mintage figures with each release and offers different finishes with each year of availability. The third release brings a reverse proof finish for the first time in the series. Right now, 2019-W 1 oz American Palladium Eagle Reverse Proof Coins are available to purchase online from Certified Coin Consultants.