The Four Platinum Bullion Coins: A Brief Description Of Each




Bullion coins are coins made from precious metals. Their market values are determined by their inherent precious metal contents. As such bullion coins are mainly kept as investments or stores of value.

Most of the bullion coins available are made from silver or gold. A few also come in platinum though, including the American Platinum Eagle, the Canadian Platinum Maple Leaf, the Australian Platinum Koala, and the Manx Noble. Here's a quick rundown of each of these four platinum bullion coins:

The American Platinum Eagle:

The American Platinum Eagle bullion coins were first minted and released in 1997 by the United States Mint. They are offered in four varieties:

1. 1/10 ounce (oz.) coin - With a face value of USD10, 3.112 grams (g) in weight, 0.95 millimeters (mm) thick, and 16.5 mm in diameter.

2. 1/4 oz. coin - With a face value of USD25, 7.78 g in weight, 1.32 mm thick, and 22 mm in diameter.

3. 1/2 oz. coin - With a face value of USD50, 15.56 g in weight, 1.75 mm thick, and 27 mm in diameter.

4. 1 oz. coin - With a face value of USD100, 31.12 g in weight, 2.39 mm thick, and 32.7 mm in diameter.

All coin varieties consist of 0.9995 fine platinum. One interesting feature of the American Platinum Eagle coin is that its reverse design changes every year.

The Canadian Platinum Maple Leaf:

The Canadian Platinum Maple Leaf bullion coins were issued from 1988 until 2002 by the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM). They were offered in four varieties: 1/10 oz. coin (with a face value (FV) of CD5), 1/4 oz. coin (FV: CD10), 1/2 oz. coin (FV: CD20), and 1 oz. coin (FV: CD50).

Two additional varieties, 1/20 oz. coin (FV: CD1) and 1/15 oz. coin (FV: CD2), were issued by RCM, but only in 1994. In 2009, the 1 oz. coin was reintroduced. All coins, which have legal tender status in Canada, consist of 0.9995 pure platinum.

The Australian Platinum Koala:

The Australian Platinum Koala bullion coins were first released in 1988 by the Perth Mint, the oldest currently operating mint in Australia. The coin comes in 1 oz. variety, with a face value of AD100. As with most other bullion coins, this value is much lower than the coin's bullion value.

On the coin's obverse is a koala, in sunken relief (i.e., lowered from the coin's plane); on the reverse is Queen Elizabeth II. The coin has legal tender status in Australia.

The Manx Noble:

The Manx Noble platinum bullion coins were minted from 1983 to 1989 by the Pobjoy Mint, the leading private mint in Europe. The coins were offered in five varieties:

1. 1/20 oz. coin - With 1.555 g platinum content, 1.556 g in weight, and 13.9 mm in diameter.

2. 1/10 ounce coin - With 3.11 g platinum content, 3.112 g in weight, and 16.5 mm in diameter.

3. 1/4 ounce coin - With 7.776 g platinum content, 7.78 g in weight, and 22 mm in diameter.

4. 1/2 ounce coin - With 15.552 g platinum content, 15.6 g in weight, and 27 mm in diameter.

5. 1 ounce coin - With 31.103 g platinum content, 31.119 g in weight, and 32.7 mm in diameter.

The coins have no currency value. Their value, rather, is equal to their respective platinum contents. All coins consist of 0.9995 pure platinum.

On the coin's obverse is Queen Elizabeth II, along with these texts: "ISLE OF MAN" and "ELIZABETH II". On the reverse are a Viking ship, the denomination, platinum content, and the words "Platinum fine".

 

Know Your Precious Metals Articles

Platinum: Most Widely Traded Of The Platinum Group Metals
Three Methods Of Assay For Raw Precious Metals
Largest Gold Nuggets Discovered: Welcome Stranger And Hand Of Faith
Placer Mining: Three Methods Used To Mine Placer Gold
Gold As An Investment: Ways Of Investing In Gold
Krugerrand: Most Well-Known Precious Metal Coin
Silver As An Investment: Ways Of Investing In Silver
Palladium: Least Dense Of The Platinum Group Metals
Osmium: Densest Precious Metal
Rhodium: Costliest Precious Metal
Bullion: Mass Of Precious Metals
The Four Platinum Bullion Coins: A Brief Description Of Each
Palladium And Platinum As Investment Commodities
Safety Issues Concerning Precious Metals
Gold: Most Sought-After Precious Metal
KidsNN - news by kids, news for kids
The Eight Precious Metals Considered Noble Metals
Precious Metal Determinants: Rarity And High Economic Value
Gold And Silver: The Two Precious Traditional Coinage Metals
Gold Standard: Definition And The Three Distinct Kinds
Rhenium: Last Naturally Occurring Stable Precious Metal Discovered
Ruthenium: Most Versatile Of The Platinum Group Metals
Iridium: Most Corrosive Resistant Precious Metal
Silver: Precious Metal With The Highest Thermal And Electrical Conductivity
Precious Metals Discoverers And Name Etymologies
The Six Precious Metals Of The Platinum Group

 

Know Your Precious Metals Videos

 

Resources

Homepage







Disclosure: Advertisements are placed on this website to offset the cost of maintenance and to keep this site free for everyone to use. Owners of this website will receive compensation for products and services purchased through featured advertisements. All claims of actual user results should be considered atypical.