At the time of publication, the Chicago Tribune reported that the U.S. Mint had announced a return to platinum-coin production after a four-year hiatus, news the original article said could interest precious-metals investors, particularly those focused on platinum.
At the time of original publication, the article described the following: The U.S. Mint had stopped minting U.S. platinum eagles after 2008 because demand declined. Following the financial-market collapse in 2007 & 2008, investors had shown greater interest in traditional safe-haven investments, including gold. The article said renewed interest at publication supported production of these coins, first introduced in 1997.
Although platinum is rarer than gold, the original article explained that industrial demand is the main factor affecting its value in commodity markets because its principal use is making catalytic converters. It reported a moderate economic improvement over the previous few years and increased demand for new vehicles, both of which had supported higher platinum prices. It also observed that more people appeared to regard platinum as an investment than in prior years.
Because industrial demand strongly affects platinum pricing, the article said platinum had historically been more volatile than popular precious-metal investments such as gold and silver. Its price also tended to follow the overall economy’s strength, or weakness, more closely. Beyond industrial demand, the article noted that platinum had tended to perform relatively well during periods of loose Federal Reserve monetary policy.
When this article was originally published, Atlanta Gold & Coin Buyers reported that it could offer 1/2 ounce and 1/4 ounce platinum eagles. Because the U.S. Mint was then expected to mint only one-ounce American Platinum Eagles in 2014, the article said fractional Platinum Eagles might become scarce and command higher premiums later. Readers were invited at publication to contact Atlanta Gold & Coin while prices were considered reasonable; the article reported a limited supply on hand.
