Platinum Coins

Platinum is one of the newest bullion products on the market. Discovery of a means to make platinum malleable actually only occurred in 1772; the exceptionally high melting point of the metal made it a challenge for precious metals experts, who had primarily worked with silver and gold until that point.

Despite its relatively recent addition to the pool of available bullion products, platinum has become a foundational part of precious metals investment. All around the world, bullion stackers collect platinum coins to add diversity and hedge their portfolios against the threats of inflation and economic insecurity.

Hero Bullion offers a number of platinum coins from around the world to help you enrich your collection with high quality platinum bullion products. Below, we’ll break down everything consumers need to know about some of the world’s most popular platinum coins.

Platinum Bullion Coins

While the process for making platinum coins is a recent innovation, platinum’s discovery occurred thousands of years before metal-workers figured out how to make coins with the precious metal.

To understand platinum coins as a category, collectors should develop an appreciation for this metal’s fascinating history. The history of platinum is one of practical applications. The first documented use of platinum, according to some archeologists, happened at around 1,200 BCE. Platinum and gold were combined in the tomb of Pharaoh Shepenupet II to decorate a small box with hieroglyphics. The Ancient Egyptians who discovered this whitish metal in their gold probably never would have imagined that it would one day be one of the world’s most valuable physical assets.

History of Platinum Coinage

Platinum-palladium ore

Europe was a bit late to the platinum trend. While Native Americans in Ecuador created platinum artifacts as early as 600 BCE, Europeans didn’t discover platinum until around 1557, if the writings of Julius Caesar Scaliger are to be believed. He remarks in his journal that the metal was difficult to liquify, and that its malleability remained a mystery to Italian metal-smiths.

For platinum to be made into platinum coins, experts needed to find a way to make it malleable. This didn’t happen until around 200 years after the precious metal first made its way to Europe. German academic Karl von Sickingen is credited with making the first major breakthrough; he was able to make platinum malleable by mixing it with gold before dissolving it through a complicated process.

At the request of Spain’s Charles III, French chemist Pierre-Francois Chabaneau managed to produce several kilograms of malleable platinum. His work led to Spain’s “platinum age,” which helped popularize platinum as a valuable precious metal in its own right.

Platinum Use-Cases

The invention of several notable technologies has helped to lend platinum a unique intrinsic value. Platinum is used to make catalytic converters for cars, lab and dental equipment, and even iPhones! As new technologies come out and demand the extreme strength of platinum bullion, the element is likely to become even more valuable to the industrial industry.

We highlight the use-cases of platinum because of their effect on platinum’s intrinsic value. While demand for platinum coins is always going to be high because of the scarcity of platinum and the production-value of platinum bullion coins, it’s actually the industrial value of platinum that helped precipitate its rise as one of the world’s most valuable precious metals.

Popular Platinum Coins

Readers aren’t here to learn only about the history of platinum coins. In the subsections below, we’ll dive into some of the most popular platinum coins on the market, including the American Eagle, Canadian Maple Leaf, and platinum coins from around the world.

American Platinum Eagle

Produced continuously by the U.S. Mint since 1997, the American Platinum Eagle remains the most popular platinum coin in the United States. Its recognizability is tough to dispute; Lady Liberty’s classic likeness on the obverse pairs well with the majestic flying eagle that decorates its reverse.

What makes the American Platinum Eagle such a popular platinum coin? Clearly, there’s a reason it continues to be listed among the world’s best-selling platinum bullion items.

Design and Specifications

The coin is minted with an exceptionally fine .9995 pure platinum and arrives from the U.S. Mint in Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) condition. On the obverse, Lady Liberty wears her crown and stares proudly at the onlooker. The reverse offers another glimpse into classic American symbolism; the bald eagle screeches as it flies away from a rising sun. The purity, material, and weight of the coin is also written on the American Platinum Eagle’s reverse.

Numismatic Value and Platinum Content

American Platinum Eagles are highly collectable and offer exceptional numismatic value to collectors. Over time, some investors have noted a high degree of value appreciation, making them excellent potential long term investments. The impressive platinum content of the piece gives it an excellent shine but also provides collectors with another way to profit. As the spot price of platinum increases, the value of pure platinum coins will also climb.

Canadian Platinum Maple Leaf

Offering an unprecedented level of detail and platinum fineness, there’s a reason why the Canadian Platinum Maple Leaf flies off of bullion dealer shelves each year. The coin’s obverse pays homage to Britain’s monarch, while the reverse highlights a classic Canadian icon, the maple leaf, in exceptionally fine detail.

Obverse and Reverse Designs

All coins manufactured by the Royal Canadian Mint bear the likeness of Britain’s monarch on the obverse. Current editions of the Canadian Platinum Maple feature Queen Elizbeth II. On the 2022 Canadian Platinum Maple Leaf, she appears in her pearl earrings and pearl necklace. It is likely that later releases will feature King Charles III, who took up the mantle of England after the death of Elizabeth II.

The reverse of these platinum coins is where they get their name. You’ll note a large depiction of the Canadian maple leaf, one of Canada’s most important cultural symbols. Especially when struck into the .9995 pure platinum of this coin, the detail on the maple leaf is exceptionally impressive. Each vein on the leaf is clearly visible, and the textured background helps it to ‘pop’ even more.

Historical Price Appreciation

While we love the look and feel of the Canadian Platinum Maple Leaf, how do these platinum coins perform on the secondary market over time? It is likely that future editions of the coin featuring King Charles III might become more valuable in the next few decades, especially given that this is the first time these coins will feature a new monarch in their long history of production by the Royal Canadian Mint.

Collector demand for Canadian Maple Leaf Coins is always very high, and the platinum coins in this series tend to fly off of our shelves relatively quickly.

British Platinum Coins

We couldn’t pick just one British platinum coin to highlight in this section. The wide range of bullion products available from the Royal British Mint is one reason behind their dominance on the global market. We’ll highlight two of the British Mint’s most popular coins in this section: the Platinum Britannia and the Platinum Queen’s Beasts Series.

Platinum Britannia

Along with the American Eagle and the Canadian Maple Leaf, the Royal Mint’s Platinum Britannia makes up one-third of the coin trio that dominates yearly platinum coin sales. The coin invokes the likeness of Britannia, the female personification of the British Empire. On the reverse, she appears wielding a trident and the shield of Great Britain while standing on a rocky cliff.

The reverse of the Platinum Britannia features Britain’s current monarch. For 2023, King Charles III makes his first appearance. Unlike Queen Elizbeth II, he wears no jewelry and dons no crown. His bust simply looks off to the side of the coin, giving off the vibe of quiet regality that has come to represent his reign.

Britannia coins are dominant on the bullion market for a reason, and almost all platinum coins struggle to keep up with the popularity of the Platinum Britannia Coin.

Platinum Tudor Beasts

The Royal Mint is also known for its exceptionally popular coin series. The Tudor Beasts Series is a particularly coveted collection of coins with a unique historical background. Each of the coins in the series celebrates one of the Tudor Beasts, ten sculptures created to commemorate the ascension of Queen Elizabeth II to the throne of Great Britain.

Like the Platinum Britannia, the latest release in the Queen’s Beasts Series features a brand new obverse depiction. Instead of Queen Elizbeth, King Charles III is highlighted on this side of the coin. For savvy investors, the implication is clear: this is the first coin in the series to celebrate Britain’s new monarch, who will likely be in power for several decades.

Each reverse in the Tudor Beast shows off a different animal with a unique link to the history and power of the royal Tudor family. The latest release is the Bull of Clarence, and platinum coins in this series are highly collectable. Like the Queen’s Beasts Series, the Tudor Beasts collection will likely conclude with a completer coin – a piece that includes artwork of all ten beasts at one time.

Australian Platinum Coins

At this point in our guide, the influence of the Royal British Mint on global coinage should be clear. Like the Royal Canadian Mint, the Australian Mint system was once a subsidiary of Great Britain’s mint. Want to guess who appears on the obverse of all Perth Mint platinum coins? That’s right! You can expect to see the present king/queen of England on every coin produced by the government of Australia. We’ll cover two of Australia’s most popular platinum coins below: the Australian Kangaroo and the Australian Kookaburra.

Australian Kangaroo

On the obverse, Australian Platinum Kangaroos feature Britain’s monarch. At the moment, we haven’t seen King Charles III. It’s likely that 2024 releases will feature the new King of Britain for the first time, but for now we still note a uniquely detailed portrait of the late Queen Elizbeth II. She wears her crown, pearl earrings, and her classic pearl necklace. The 2023 edition also pays homage to the Queen’s legacy, featuring her lifespan (1952-2022) above her head on the obverse.

The reverse is where our Australian Platinum Kangaroos get their famous name. It’s hard to think of Australia without thinking of the kangaroo, which is native – and almost exclusively found – in the ‘land down under.’ On the latest Platinum Kangaroo Coin, the animal is shown mid-jump; its fur is rendered in exceptional detail, and we love the design that decorates the area around our kangaroo.

Australian Kookaburra

The Kookaburra is another notable animal native to beautiful Australia, and the small birds make their appearance on the Platinum Kookaburra Coin. Here, we see a parent and a child Kookaburra; the baby looks up at its parent while resting on a branch as classic Australian fauna flank them from the bottom of the coin.

The 2023 obverse of our 2023 Australian Platinum Kookaburra Coin features what will likely be the last coinage portrait of Queen Elizbeth II produced by the Perth Mint. Like the Platinum Kangaroo’s obverse, this coin shows the popular monarch in full regality and wearing her earrings, necklace, and crown.

Advantages of Buying Platinum Coins

Platinum coins are a popular way to invest in platinum bullion. While platinum bars come at a lower premium than government-minted coins, they also don’t offer the collectable and numismatic value provided by platinum coins.

Platinum’s intrinsic value is impressive. Aside from the natural scarcity and volatility associated with any precious metal, platinum is also extremely valuable to the industrial sector. This means that investors can speculate on more than just the platinum market – investing in platinum as a usable industrial asset is a smart way to diversify your portfolio.

Cons of Buying Platinum Coins

The biggest downside to buying platinum coins is that these platinum products come with high premiums. Because of the high standards and production costs employed by popular government mints, platinum coins are always going to come with additional premiums over spot. Are platinum coins a good investment, despite inflated premiums? Maybe. The answer to this question depends on a number of factors, including your own investment goals and objectives.

Final Thoughts: Platinum Coins for Sale

Hero Bullion is excited to offer investors some of the best platinum coins on the market. We carefully work to keep our premiums as low as possible, and our convenient and safe shipping procedures ensure that your quality platinum coins arrive without any kind of damage during transit.

If you still have questions about platinum coins from Hero Bullion, please don’t hesitate to reach out and speak to a member of our team.