1999 American Platinum Eagle

Every 1999 Platinum Eagle version

The 1999 lineup mirrors the previous two years. Bullion without a mint mark: 55,955 tenth ounce, 39,734 quarter ounce, 32,309 half ounce and 56,707 one ounce coins. Proofs with a W: 19,133, 13,507, 11,103 and 12,363. An alligator and swamp on the reverse means a proof. The soaring eagle alone means bullion. If you have a proof, the size is stated on the reverse, so you can match it to the mintage. Proofs came in individual capsules or in four-coin sets with Mint packaging, each with a certificate. Bullion fractions usually turn up loose or in tubes.

Quick answers

How much platinum is in a 1999 Platinum Eagle?

Each coin contains its stated weight of pure platinum: 1/10 troy ounce in the $10 coin, 1/4 troy ounce in the $25 coin, 1/2 troy ounce in the $50 coin and one troy ounce in the $100 coin. The alloy is 99.95% platinum.

How many 1999 Platinum Eagles were made?

56,707 one ounce bullion coins plus 56,106 collector versions (proof, burnished and special finishes).

Is the 1999 Platinum Eagle worth more than its platinum?

Yes. With only 56,707 one ounce bullion coins sold, the 1999 is a low mintage date, so it brings a premium over its platinum value.

Is the Platinum Eagle legal tender?

Yes. Each size carries a face value ($10, $25, $50 and $100), but nobody spends them: the platinum is worth far more than the face value.

The 1999 proof design

Bald eagle flying above Southeastern Wetlands and alligator crawling in a swamp. Designer: Al Maletsky.

1999 Platinum Eagle by the numbers

The Mint sold 56,707 one ounce bullion Platinum Eagles dated 1999. That ranks 17th lowest of the 19 bullion dates from 1997 to 2021.

Against the dates around it, 1999 bullion sales were 2.3 times fewer than 1998 and 5.7 times the 2000 figure.

Collector versions dated 1999 add up to 56,106 coins across 4 versions. The scarcest is the 1999-W 1/2 oz proof at 11,103; the most plentiful is the 1999-W 1/10 oz proof at 19,133.

Fractional bullion that year: 55,955 1/10 oz coins, 39,734 1/4 oz coins and 32,309 1/2 oz coins. The 1/2 oz is the scarce size of the year.

What to check on yours

• Weigh and measure it. A genuine one ounce Platinum Eagle weighs 31.12 g and measures 32.7 mm; the fractional sizes are 3.112 g (1/10 oz), 7.78 g (1/4 oz) and 15.56 g (1/2 oz). Fakes are usually the wrong weight or the wrong thickness.
• Try a magnet. Platinum is not magnetic, so a coin that sticks is not genuine. A coin that does not stick still needs the other checks.
• Look for the mint mark. Bullion strikes have none; proofs and burnished coins carry a small letter. A mirror field with frosted design means a proof, a soft satin look means burnished.
• Handle it by the edge and never clean it. Fingerprints, wiping and polishing leave marks that cost collector versions much of their premium.
• Keep the original capsule, box and certificate with collector versions. Coins that come with them are easier to sell and more likely to bring their full premium.

Bullion pieces from 1999 normally sell for a small premium over metal value. The wetlands proofs earn a collector premium, with the half ounce at 11,103 the scarcest. Full four-coin proof sets in their original Mint packaging tend to attract more interest than single coins. Watch for hairlines on proofs that have been taken out of their capsules; they show up clearly on the mirror fields and lower a coin's grade. A matched set is also the easiest way to sell the year as a group.

Launch and the Vistas of Liberty (1997 to 2002)

The Platinum Eagle arrived in 1997 as the first platinum coin the US Mint had ever struck. It came in four sizes, 1/10, 1/4, 1/2 and 1 ounce, each in bullion and proof. In that first year both versions shared Thomas D. Rogers's soaring eagle on the reverse, with John Mercanti's Statue of Liberty on the obverse.

From 1998 the proofs went their own way. The Vistas of Liberty series put a bald eagle over a different American landscape each year: New England with a lighthouse in 1998, the Southeastern wetlands in 1999, Midwestern farmland in 2000, the saguaro cacti of the Southwest in 2001 and a lake ringed by Northwestern mountains in 2002. Rogers and Al Maletsky shared the designs. Bullion coins kept the original soaring eagle throughout, which is the quickest way to tell the two apart without a loupe.

Mintages in these years look large next to what came later. The 1998 one ounce bullion coin reached 133,002 pieces, the highest of the early run, while the 2000 one ounce bullion fell to just 10,003. Proofs drifted downward from about 20,000 one ounce coins in 1997 to under 10,000 by 2002. For collectors, the appeal is the complete Vistas set in all four sizes, which is still achievable but takes some patience to assemble in matching condition. If you inherited a group of early Platinum Eagles, sort them by reverse first. Anything with a landscape behind the eagle is a proof from 1998 to 2002.

Mintage chart

Specifications

Frequently asked questions