The United States Mint updated the online product page for this year’s proof American Platinum Eagle, adding ordering and mintage limits, images and other release details.
Sales of the 1-ounce .9995 fine platinum coin begin on June 30, 2016 at noon Eastern Time. The mintage at 10,000 coins is two and a half times higher than the companion piece from 2015, which sold out within 7 minutes of its release on Dec. 3. The ordering limit of one coin per household matches last year.
Proof Platinum Eagles feature annually changing reverses with groupings of themed designs that run for several years. The latest design series, titled Torches of Liberty, lasts for only two years and is representative of the nation’s core values of liberty and freedom. The 2015-dated coin carries the first design and is titled Liberty Nurtures Freedom. (See photos of the 2015 Proof Platinum Eagle.)
Created by Paul C. Balan and sculpted by Joseph Menna, this year’s design shows Liberty holding a torch of enlightenment in her right hand and an olive branch in her left to symbolize peace. A bald eagle with its wings out-stretched appears to the side.
Obverses of all platinum American Eagles share John Mercanti’s depiction of the Statue of Liberty. Also unchanged through the years is where they are made, with the West Point Mint striking them to diameter of 1.287 inches with a thickness of 0.094 inches.
For more information about the 2016-W $100 Proof American Platinum Eagle, visit the coin’s online product page. Its starting price will be set on the day before its release and based on the prevailing trend of the platinum as it relates to the Mint’s pricing grid for precious metals coins.
It appears like Liberty is running away from the eagle?
Another beautiful Proof Platinum American Eagle coin design by the U.S. Mint. But, the 10,000 mintage level is way too high! In the 20 years since this Proof platinum coin program began in 1997, only 6 years have seen sales of over 10,000 coins. With platinum prices up about 11 percent this year & the high premium the Mint charges for Proof issues, it will be interesting to see if it sells out, even if they lift the 1 per household limit later on. I got lucky last year & got one of the 2015 coins before the sellout of… Read more »
cwestb –
When I first saw the design on Friday, I thought the same thing. Lady Liberty looks like she stepped on the eagle & is looking back and saying “sorry” ! The eagie looks disoriented from the mishap.
-NumisDudeTX
Hey Seth, Did you see the new Nancy Reagan F.S. coin??
I think they did a horrific job on that one. That was one i was looking forward in getting.. Here is the coin..
http://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/2016/06/nancy-reagan-first-spouse-gold-ready-in-july.html
The reverse she looks like a zombie, And the front doesn’t look anything like her.
I am pis-ed..
Does anyone have any idea when the silver eagle proof and uncirculated will be released? It’s o e thing that i am really excited about. I had hopes of a nice 30th anniversary set with a reverse proof but i think i read that they’d need congress to authorize that?
joe#2 –
Her Highness Nancy Reagan approved the designs herself soon before she died. They even sent a Mint rep with a Proof trial strike for her to review. The obverse isn’t too bad, except her scary eyes. The reverse makes her look like a clown with a major bouffant! Her eyesight must have been deteriorating at the time. Bless her heart, as we say in Texas!
-NumisDudeTx
Whatever you guys think about the platinum reverse proof it shows that artist Paul C. Balan has redeemed himself (from the anorexic liberty in the 2015 high relief liberty coin) by making a nice looking stylized liberty which somehow got past the blind eyes of the CCAC and onto a coin, albeit a low mintage most likely never to be seen by the public coin.
WOW… Nancy herself approved that????
Maybe she was on strong meds at the time..
I wanted that coin so bad..
Oh well, Glad i got Jackie K. She looks the best of them all.. IMO
The Platinum is awesome, But, The mintage of 10k is nuts.
joe#2 – First Lady Nancy Reagan was a control freak & that was no secret. She was the only First Lady who was alive to make changes to & approve both her husband’s Reagan Presidential $1 coin & her own First Spouse $10 gold coin. I give her great credit for her anti-drug programs. But the sad thing we didn’t know is that she was slowly slipping away in health when this whole design process went down. I saw a short interview with one of her close friends after her funeral & she said that just 4 months before she… Read more »
Very interesting Seth… Wow…
She approved the design, but from what I can tell based on the pics, it seems the issue is how the design was translated into the coin. Or it may even be the pics, which in some cases don’t capture the coin well. To really know, you need to see it in hand.
Louis, Since this coin will be almost as popular as the Jackie K., I was looking forward to this one. From the pics, It looks hideous. Hope you’re right that it maybe the design itself.. Jackie K, Looks like from the 10 year series the best to me, They did a fine job on that one.
Louis
How true, the Mint sucks at “translating” design into a coin … hopefully the real coin will show Nancy Reagan in better light. But knowing the Mint, not holding my breath … and they get paid ….. I wonder if the Mint has sort of like “refresher” training for their engravers, etc. … ? Not in house of course, since it will reinforce the crappy workmanship ..
Louis –
I think you might be right in reference to the photos of Nancy’s gold coins. Since they are pics of a Proof version, the lighting may be “throwing” shadows & small distortions to our eyes with the properties of bright gold.
-NumisDudeTX
Thanks to all. I think a good example if the 2015 high relief Liberty gold coin, which is esp. hard to photograph. One of my friends was so against it from the pics, but when he saw one in hand, he had to have it!
I was lucky to purchase the 2015 so I’ll certainly buy the 2016 that goes with it. I agree that the 2016 leaves much to be desired
Looking forward to the new Platinum Eagle to complement the 2015. I was wondering – I thought that the platinum supply was running dry, which explained why there was only a mintage limit of only 4k and late year release?? Now this one is coming out with a 10k limit — what gives — a new platinum source? I was curious about previous years sales that may have eclipsed that 10k amount and saw it here – thanks Seth.
With the increase of this years mintage, it may dilute the value in the 2015/2016 set.
Nice design on this platinum coin, But, I’m passing.on this coin, And sticking with good old gold.
What matters is the number of coins sold, not the max mintage. The 2 coin torches of liberty series set key coin is the 2015 coin. That won’t change unless fewer 2016 coins are sold. Then again the platinum eagles are not very much in demand so the set price probably won’t vary much regardless of the quantity of 2016 coins sold. The 1995 W proof silver eagle still goes for more than $3,000 because it’s the first W mint silver eagle and has a mintage of only 30,000+ compared to the ~750,000 per year that are sold these days… Read more »
After 1 hour & 11 minutes of their initial release, the 2016-W Platinum Proof Eagle coins are now currently unavailable @ 10:11 AM PDT Wednesday June 30, 2016 on the U.S. Mint’s website.
I have several 2011 silver eagles with the (w) on the label but no mint mark on the coin.They are not labeled 25th anniversary either. Any one know what they are.