2010 Platinum Eagle Reverse Design Candidates

With the next US Mint product release more than a week away, I wanted to take a few posts to share the leading design candidates for a few upcoming coins. The first is the reverse design for collectible version of the 2010 Platinum Eagle.

Last year, a six year design series began for the collectible American Platinum Eagle. The core concepts of American Democracy as stated in the Preamble to the United States Constitution were to be presented on different reverse designs. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. provided narratives for each of the concepts to serve as inspiration for the designs. This year's design will depict the principle "To Establish Justice."

Nine different candidate designs were recently provided by the United States Mint. Six of the designs presented the figure of Justice blindfolded, holding scales, and/or surrounded by other allegorical symbols or people. Two of the designs featured images from the Supreme Court building, figures on the western pediment and the panels depicting the development of law on west front doors. One more design featured the Statue of Liberty's torch.

The Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) and Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) have already had the opportunity to review the design candidates and make recommendations. The final selection will be up to the United States Treasury Secretary.


The CFA recommended the design depicting the torch. Their motivation for selecting the design seemed to be focused to its relation to the obverse design, which will feature an image of the Statue of Liberty. Their letter to the US Mint Director stated that they felt this design was preferable to the allegorical figure of Justice in combination with the figure of Liberty on the obverse. They did recommending moving the words "Justice the Guardian of Liberty" to flank the image.


The CCAC recommended a design depicting a blindfolded Justice holding scales and an olive branch. They did recommend that the inscription should be changed from "Justice, the Guardian of Liberty" to "To Establish Justice". They further recommended that the design should be altered so that Justice holds the scale by a loop above the beam, to be mechanically correct.

The United States Mint plans to offer only one collectible 2010 Platinum Eagle, the one ounce proof version. According to the current scheduled product listing, this coin will be released in August 2010. Last year, the Proof Platinum Eagle was not released until December 3, 2009. The coins sold out of the maximum authorized mintage of 8,000 coins in about a week.

If the bullion versions of the 2010 Platinum Eagle are issued, they would not carry the new reverse design, but would feature the soaring eagle and rising sun design that was used for all 1997 Platinum Eagles and all bullion Platinum Eagles issued to date. Last year, the US Mint did not issue 2009 American Platinum Eagle bullion coins.

Coin Update News: April 2010 US Mint Bullion Sales