2012 American Platinum Eagle
Every version of the 2012 Platinum Eagle with mintages, the platinum it contains, which versions carry a premium and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2012
- 1 oz bullion mintage
- None listed
- Versions
- 1
- Metal
- .9995 fine platinum
Original illustration of the coin's size and metal. Tap to flip. Not a picture of the actual design.
Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because metal and coin prices change daily.
What is a 2012 Platinum Eagle worth?
2012 has no one ounce bullion coin in our source, so every version is a collector piece that brings a premium over its platinum value. The scarcest version, the 2012-W 1 oz proof (9,081), rates small premium.
Metal value = troy ounces of platinum × the day's spot price. For collector versions, check recent sold results for the same version and grade.
Every 2012 Platinum Eagle version
| Version | Mint mark | Size | Mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proof | "W" | 1 oz ($100) | 9,081 | Small premium |
The 2012 Platinum Eagle exists only as a one ounce proof with the W mint mark, $100 face value and 9,081 coins struck. It shows the minuteman with rifle and book on the reverse and the Statue of Liberty on the obverse. Mirror fields and frosted relief mark it as a proof. It was sold in a capsule with a box and certificate. No bullion or fractional sizes were made this year. Check the capsule and box for damage before storing or selling the coin. Bullion buyers had no 2012 coin to choose.
Quick answers
- How much platinum is in a 2012 Platinum Eagle?
- Each coin contains its stated weight of pure platinum: one troy ounce in the $100 coin. The alloy is 99.95% platinum.
- How many 2012 Platinum Eagles were made?
- No one ounce bullion coins are listed plus 9,081 collector versions (proof, burnished and special finishes).
- Is the 2012 Platinum Eagle worth more than its platinum?
- Yes. 2012 has no one ounce bullion coin in our source, so every version is a collector piece that brings a premium over its platinum value.
- Is the Platinum Eagle legal tender?
- Yes. Each size carries a face value ($100), but nobody spends them: the platinum is worth far more than the face value.
The Platinum Eagle in 2012
The fourth Preamble proof, To Provide for the Common Defence, keeps the older spelling of defense used in the Preamble itself. Barbara Fox designed it and Charles L. Vickers sculpted it. A vigilant minuteman from the Revolutionary War carries a rifle and a book, the book symbolizing the importance of knowledge in defending the nation. The book is a thoughtful touch that gives the soldier a second meaning beyond defense by arms alone. Fox's design is also the only Preamble coin with a weapon in it.
Production followed the pattern of the previous three years: one ounce proofs only, no bullion. The mintage fell back to 9,081 after the strong 2011 showing. The minuteman makes this one of the most recognizable designs in the series, since it's the only Preamble coin built around a figure from the nation's founding era rather than an allegory. Few Platinum Eagles show a real figure from American history, so it stands out in any set. That figure is lower than 2010 but higher than the two years that followed, when proof sales fell sharply.
The 2012 proof design
To Provide for the Common Defence "A vigilant minuteman from the Revolutionary War, representing the protection and defense of the country during its early days. The minuteman carries a rifle and a book, which symbolizes the importance of knowledge in defending our Nation" Designer: Barbara Fox; sculptor Charles L. Vickers.
2012 Platinum Eagle by the numbers
No one ounce bullion Platinum Eagle is listed for 2012 in our source; that year's coins were collector versions only.
Collector versions dated 2012 add up to 9,081 coins across 1 version. The scarcest is the 2012-W 1 oz proof at 9,081.
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.
The 2012 proof carries a collector premium as a low mintage, proof-only year. It's a little scarcer than 2010 and much scarcer than 2011, which keeps it in demand from set builders. Keep it in the capsule and box. Spots on platinum proofs are hard to remove without damage, so storage in a dry place helps protect the coin's appeal. Graded examples with clean fields draw the most interest from set builders. A proof with milk spots or a hazy capsule will draw noticeably less interest, even with its box and certificate.
The Preamble series and the bullion pause (2009 to 2015)
In 2009 the program changed shape. The Mint struck only a one ounce proof and made no bullion coins at all, a pattern that held through 2013. The proofs began a six-year series built on the Preamble to the Constitution, with each design taking one of its principles as its theme. For anyone sorting coins today, that makes these years simple. Any Platinum Eagle dated 2009 to 2013 should be a one ounce proof with a W.
The series ran in order: To Form a More Perfect Union in 2009, To Establish Justice in 2010, To Insure Domestic Tranquility in 2011, To Provide for the Common Defence in 2012, To Promote the General Welfare in 2013 and To Secure the Blessings of Liberty in 2014. Designers included Susan Gamble, Donna Weaver, Joel Iskowitz and Barbara Fox, with Mint sculptors such as Phebe Hemphill engraving the final models.
Bullion finally returned in 2014 with 16,900 one ounce coins, still carrying the soaring eagle. It vanished again in 2015, when only the proof was made. That 2015 proof, Liberty Nurtures Freedom, finished with 3,886 coins, the lowest proof mintage in the whole program. Most years in this stretch stayed under 10,000 proofs, so any of them in the original box with the certificate is a respectable find. Proof-only years also mean there is no common bullion coin to fall back on for these dates. Every genuine piece was sold to collectors from the start, which is why so many survive in their boxes.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Program | American Platinum Eagle |
|---|---|
| Issuer | United States Mint |
| Metal | .9995 fine platinum |
| Alloy | 99.95% platinum |
| Sizes | 1/10 oz ($10, 3.112 g, 16.5 mm); 1/4 oz ($25, 7.78 g, 22 mm); 1/2 oz ($50, 15.56 g, 27 mm); 1 oz ($100, 31.12 g, 32.7 mm) |
| Edge | Reeded |
| One ounce coin | 31.12 g, 32.7 mm |
Frequently asked questions
Why does the 2012 Platinum Eagle say Defence?
The design follows the spelling in the Preamble to the Constitution, which reads To Provide for the Common Defence. It isn't an error. That spelling was standard in the founders' day and the Preamble still uses it today.
How many 2012 Platinum Eagles were struck?
The Mint struck 9,081 one ounce proofs with the W mint mark. There was no bullion Platinum Eagle in 2012. Proof-only years like this are the backbone of the Preamble set, which runs from 2009 to 2014 with one coin per year.
Mintages: American Platinum Eagle (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint figures. How we build these pages.