2001 American Platinum Eagle

Every 2001 Platinum Eagle version

Bullion coins with no mint mark: 52,017 tenth ounce, 21,815 quarter ounce, 12,815 half ounce and 14,070 one ounce. Proofs with a W: 12,174, 8,847, 8,254 and 8,969. To tell them apart, look at the reverse. Saguaro cacti mean a proof; the plain soaring eagle means bullion. Proofs also have the mirror and frost contrast, while bullion coins have a uniform bright finish. Fractional proofs share the same design in smaller form. If your coin came out of a four-coin set, the Mint box holds all four sizes together. Bullion usually comes loose or in tubes.

Quick answers

How much platinum is in a 2001 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 2001 Platinum Eagles were made?

14,070 one ounce bullion coins plus 38,244 collector versions (proof, burnished and special finishes).

Is the 2001 Platinum Eagle worth more than its platinum?

Yes. With only 14,070 one ounce bullion coins sold, the 2001 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 2001 proof design

Bald eagle flying above giant Saguaro cacti of the Southwest (specifically Arizona). Designer: Thomas D. Rogers.

2001 Platinum Eagle by the numbers

The Mint sold 14,070 one ounce bullion Platinum Eagles dated 2001. That ranks 8th lowest of the 19 bullion dates from 1997 to 2021.

Against the dates around it, 2001 bullion sales were 1.4 times the 2000 figure and 1.2 times the 2002 figure.

Collector versions dated 2001 add up to 38,244 coins across 4 versions. The scarcest is the 2001-W 1/2 oz proof at 8,254; the most plentiful is the 2001-W 1/10 oz proof at 12,174.

Fractional bullion that year: 52,017 1/10 oz coins, 21,815 1/4 oz coins and 12,815 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 coins from 2001 usually trade for a small premium over metal value, a little more for the scarcer half ounce and one ounce. The Southwest proofs are the first in the program to fall below 10,000 coins in most sizes, which supports a collector premium. The half ounce proof at 8,254 is the lowest. Coins in their original boxes with certificates are what most collectors want. A loose proof that has been handled usually draws less interest than one still sealed in its capsule.

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