Bullion Coins Made Of Platinum - Worth Investing In?

By Wayne Brunson


Platinum, a precious metal, is no longer commonly found in the investor's market. This precious metal was discovered in the sixteenth century AD yet only in the eighteenth century was it found abundantly. Within finance industry, platinum isn't used as money. It still is obtainable now but not as demanded as it was in the past. Only the most famous coin manufacturers globally manufacture coins made of platinum.

Platinum was first found by the native Indians but it was only in the Spanish conquest of the American continent was it accepted by European scientists to be a rare metal. Based on research made by earlier European scientists, platinum was discovered as a chemical element which won't melt by fire. This finding sooner or later made the method for the production of coins made of platinum.

Platinum was not abundant with quantity. Up to now, Columbia is still the only principal manufacturer of platinum throughout the world and it's stopped exporting such precious metal. It was actually in the late 19th century that platinum was seen to be quite as valuable as silver and gold. This was during the time after the then government of Russia started making platinum into rubles and produced 500,000 ounces of it. It was the first coins made of platinum.

When the price of platinum became higher alongside the Arab Oil Embargo episode 35 years ago, demand for the metal increased. The interest in platinum coins also spread throughout the United States and Europe where 2 platinum mints, namely Johnson Matthew & Co. Ltd. and Engelhard Corporation started minting platinum bullion in 1 and 10 ounces.

3 decades ago, the very first Isle of Man Noble Platinum Coin was minted. This event stimulated the curiosity of various coin makers to manufacture their own platinum coins such as Canada and Australia. The minting of coins made of platinum did not reach the United States till the late nineties with the launch of the first American Eagle Platinum coin.

Platinum isn't utilized worldwide to be a sort of payment even with the release and manufacturing by famous coin makers in the world. Several of the platinum coins now are becoming more of a collector's item than an established legal tender. Only the following coins made of platinum are still in the industry: American Platinum Eagle, Australian Platinum Koala, Canadian Platinum Maple Leaf, Isle of Man Noble, Chinese Platinum Panda, and Russian Federation platinum bullion coins.

Among this list, only the manufacturing of the American Eagle continues with the latest minting carried out in three years ago. Apart from the American Eagle, production of most coins made of platinum has discontinued.

There was an occasion when platinum sold in approximately the exact cost of gold, the very reason demand for such metal went up. It was this trade price tag that induced the whole production of American Eagle Platinum Coins in 1997 and 1998. However, after the cost of platinum pressed even higher, investor interest lowered, lessening the production of the platinum coins also. Present bid price for this metal is around $1,041 per troy ounce.




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