American Palladium Eagle

The American Palladium Eagle is the newest addition to the U.S. Mint's family of precious metal bullion coins, joining the Gold, Silver, and Platinum Eagles when it launched in 2017. It is struck only in a one troy ounce weight, unlike the multiple sizes offered for the Gold and Platinum Eagle series.

Rather than commissioning an entirely new design, the Mint revived artwork originally created by acclaimed sculptor Adolph A. Weinman, giving the coin a classic early 20th-century aesthetic that ties it visually to some of America's most admired coin and medal art.

Production has included both bullion and numismatic proof or reverse proof versions in various years, with the coin quickly becoming a favorite among collectors interested in palladium as a newer addition to precious metal investing.

Congress authorized the Palladium Eagle through legislation aimed at giving American investors access to a government-backed palladium bullion coin, and the U.S. Mint released the first issue in 2017. Rather than create new artwork, the Mint adapted designs by Adolph A. Weinman originally used for a 1907 American Institute of Architects medal, featuring a striking Winged Liberty head and an eagle perched on a rock.

The choice to reuse historic Weinman artwork tied the new coin to the same artistic tradition behind Weinman's famous Walking Liberty Half Dollar and Mercury Dime designs, giving the Palladium Eagle instant visual appeal among collectors familiar with early 20th-century American coinage.

The obverse of the American Palladium Eagle features a left-facing winged head of Liberty wearing a winged cap, adapted from Weinman's original 1907 medal design, with "LIBERTY" and the date. The reverse shows an eagle standing on a rock clutching an olive branch, with "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA", "E PLURIBUS UNUM", the denomination "$25", and "1 OZ. .9995 FINE PALLADIUM" inscribed around the design.

The coin is struck only in a one-ounce weight, unlike the multi-denomination Gold and Platinum Eagle programs, simplifying identification. Proof and reverse proof versions struck at West Point carry a small "W" mintmark, while standard bullion strikes typically do not.

Bullion-strike Palladium Eagles trade primarily on the spot price of palladium, with premiums reflecting both minting costs and the relatively lower overall mintages compared to Gold and Silver Eagles. Because the coin is newer and produced in smaller numbers, it has generally carried a higher relative premium over melt value than more established bullion coins.

Proof and reverse proof versions, sold in limited quantities directly by the Mint, typically command higher premiums due to their lower mintages and collector demand. Given palladium's history of sharp price swings, overall coin values can move substantially with shifts in the metal's market price.