1997 1/2 oz American Platinum Eagle BU

Development of the first American Platinum bullion coin was two years in the making. In 1995, the Director of the United States Mint, the President of the American Numismatic Association and the Platinum Guild International Executive Director came together to begin the process of initiating the legislation to create the Platinum Eagle.

The only investment-grade Platinum coin produced by the United States Mint, the American Platinum Eagle was finally released in 1997. It is the official Platinum bullion coin of the United States and is the only coin the mint backs for weight, content and .9995 fine metal purity. The coin is available in sizes of 1/10 troy oz, 1/4 troy oz, 1/2 troy oz, and 1 troy oz.

The obverse of the standard bullion coin features the Statue of Liberty, while the reverse boasts a bald eagle soaring through the sky with the sun behind it. However, on the 1 oz Proof Platinum Eagles, the reverse changes annually. From 1997 through 2002, the various designs on these coins were part of the “Vistas of Liberty” program. In this series, a bald eagle was depicted flying over a different region throughout the United States. From 2006 to 2008, a three-year design series called “The Foundations of Democracy” represented the three branches of government. In 2009, a six-year series was introduced to honor the Preamble to the Constitution. A special two-year series began in 2015 featuring modern representations of Lady Liberty.