2009 American Platinum Eagle Proof Coin Sales at 7,207

The initial sales figures for the 2009 Proof Platinum Eagle have come in at 7,207 coins sold through December 6. Since the maximum authorized mintage is 8,000, the opening sales figures suggest that the coins are on the verge of selling out.

The 2009 Proof Platinum Eagle went on sale December 3, 2009 with an ordering limit of five coins per household. Each coin contains one ounce of .9995 platinum. The reverse design features an interpretation of the theme "To Form a More Perfect Union" and will begin a six-year series representing the core concepts of American democracy.

Prospects for the coin seemed mixed leading up to the release. There was a vocal majority of collectors who disliked the choice of reverse design. The maximum authorized mintage was set well above the mintage of last year's one ounce proof Platinum Eagle, limiting the possibility of a new key date. And finally, the continued rise in the price of platinum pushed the coin's initial price to a lofty $1,792 per coin.

On the other hand, the 2009 Proof Platinum Eagle represents the only platinum coin to be produced by the US Mint this year, as well as the only collectible American Eagle coin offered. Additionally, collectors have been literally starved for options this year, forcing them to reconsider coins they might not have purchased under different circumstances.

In a post leading up to the release, I mentioned that I was leaning towards a sell out, but not an immediate one. It looks like the sell out will happen, probably within the next few days.

Sales figures are also available for the Margaret Taylor First Spouse Gold Coin and 2009 Proof Gold Buffalo. View the complete US Mint sales report on Coin Update News.