American Platinum Eagle Coins for Sale
Gold and silver aren't your only precious metal options if you're looking to collect or invest into official American bullion coins. You can also buy platinum bullion products. The American Platinum Eagle Coin is the only investment quality platinum bullion coin that is issued by the US Mint. It's 1 oz platinum weight and .9995 platinum bullion purity are guaranteed, making it suitable for collectors of all types. If you're thinking about diversifying your portfolio with additional physical precious metals and you love the convenience of bullion coins, then these platinum coins are a very attractive option.
Proof American Platinum Eagle Coins Production at the US Mint
What Is the History of the American Platinum Eagle?
The first American Platinum Eagles were minted in 1997. Each coin offers a .9995 purity and it is considered to be the official platinum bullion coin of the United States. The obverse of the coin, which was designed by John Mercanti, is “Liberty looking into the future.” It is an image of the Statue of Liberty, struck in a sharp contrast, to make it seem as if the coin is actually staring at you. Compared to the standard profile images of most coins, this platinum coin is visually striking.
The reverse image of the American Platinum Eagle depends on the type of coin being purchased. The platinum bullion coins feature the design entitled “Eagle Soaring Above America,” which was engraved by Thomas D. Rogers.
For the platinum proof coins, the reverse design changes from year to year, making the American Platinum Eagle the only coin produced by the US Mint of this type that do so each year. The US Mint commissions a series of designs which carry a multi-year theme. For example: from 1998-2002, each design featured a bald eagle soaring over each major region of the United States. In 2006-2008, the three branches of government were featured. Starting in 2009, a series inspired by the writings of Chief Justice John Roberts has been the focus of these platinum coins.
Buy American Platinum Eagle Coins
How rare is platinum? The amount of platinum that has ever been mined could fit into the living room of the average home. Because of this face, collecting platinum coins can be rather challenging. The number of coins that are minted from this precious metal are very few, especially when compared to the gold or silver counterparts it may have. For the American Platinum Eagle, there are several mintage years where the US Mint produced fewer than 10,000 1 ounce coins. More fractional size coins are typically produced with platinum.
Since 2009, the US Mint has not produced any fractional size proof coins. With the exception of 2001 when about 15,000 proof coins were made available, there have been fewer than 10,000 1 ounce proof coins produced. This has created a very limited market for collectors and investors in which they can operate.
The Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States has also authorized the American Platinum Eagle for inclusion into individualized retirement accounts or Platinum IRA, which indicates that there is a belief these platinum bullion coins will not appreciate in value over time.
Why the American Platinum Eagle is a Collector's Dream Coin
Platinum bullion in .999 fine investment grade form is estimated to be 20x more rare than the world's physical gold bullion supplies. In fact the world's entire supply of platinum bullion is so small that it could fit inside the average US home's garage. Most of the platinum ore deposits found on Earth are in Russia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa (about 75% of platinum comes from these regions alone). So rare is platinum, in fact, that in 2012, film director James Cameron announced an initiative to begin exploring how to mine platinum from asteroids that come near our planet. It is an attractive metal for coins because it has a massive resistance to corrosion and the amount of platinum made available for coins is even more limited. More than 30% of the platinum which is mined every year actually goes to the automobile industry.
This means the American Platinum Eagle has more overall scarcity than other precious metal coins. It has a value which is often competitive with gold and at one point even traded at 2x the value of gold. For collectors or investors who are looking to diversify their portfolio, but stay within the precious metals niche, this is one of the best platinum coins to consider in order to meet that goal.
Platinum markets can be somewhat volatile, so it is important to perform your due diligence about this precious metal before finalizing an investment. Platinum mining in particular tends to decrease when price levels decrease, which may influence the number of coins produced in some years, the price of the coins, and if they may generate any numismatic value in the future.
The American Platinum Eagle is beautiful, fun to collect, and can diversify your portfolio. Consider taking it home today. Want to invest in platinum bullion with a lower premium to spot price? Check out our selection of platinum bars.