Platinum Bullion Shortage?

Discussion in 'Bullion Investing' started by SD51555, Jan 19, 2015.

  1. SD51555

    SD51555 Active Member

    Not saying there is a platinum shortage, but there is certainly a shortage of eagles out there. I'm somewhat new to chasing platinum eagles, but I don't recall so many places not having any eagles at all. It's even harder for 1/2 oz eagles. Not good for me because I just got started buying 1/2 oz eagles.
     
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  3. harris498

    harris498 Accumulator

    Not long ago I went on the hunt for a 1/4 oz APE. I too was surprised by the lack of options.
     
  4. ROLLJUNKIE

    ROLLJUNKIE Active Member

    Ebay has plenty of options available. You just have to weed through the crazy premiums but you should be able to find them at less than 15% premium if you look hard enough.
     
  5. medoraman

    medoraman Supporter! Supporter

    Platinum has always been much harder to find. There simply is little demand and high prices, leading most dealers to not stock it. Most local coin stores aren't going to be carrying a chain cent in inventory, right? Same thing.
     
  6. Tater

    Tater Coin Collector

    Yeah I can never find even a tenth of an ounce
     
  7. krispy

    krispy krispy

    US Mint stopped producing platinum eagle fractional coins in 2009. 1997-2008 for collectors versions, in low mintages, are all that are out there.

    Despite the low demand and typically higher value of platinum over gold, that affects that demand, starting during the precious metals bull market of the last few years, gold and platinum have become about neck-and-neck in spot values and have basically stayed that way. Right now spot is $1,281 gold / $1,272 platinum per ounce.
     
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  8. Teddydogno1

    Teddydogno1 Well-Known Member

    Provident has 1/4 oz APEs for $356

    Rob
     
  9. SD51555

    SD51555 Active Member

    I got ahold of apmex this morning. They had 20 more 1/2 oz random year platinum AE's this morning. They still have some now, I got my one for now. I'll be satisfied for another 6 weeks.
     
  10. Teddydogno1

    Teddydogno1 Well-Known Member

    What is "too much" premium on the small APEs? I see lots of sellers on ebay TRYING to get $199 for 1/10, but mostly those are in cases with COAs. Apmex goes about $175 for "random" and up to about $185 for some of the older (rarer?) ones like 1998. Why should APEs sell for more than AGE now when gold has a slight edge in melt value?

    Rob
     
  11. SD51555

    SD51555 Active Member

    seems like supply and demand to me. The 1/2 oz APE I bought six weeks ago was $60 over. Today is was $70. I'd raise the premium if I were them too. I have been looking for a couple weeks and hadn't found any until today.

    I try to stay away from anything smaller than half ounce. The premiums seems to get crazy when you go lower. The only reason I'm into half ounce APE's is for some crazy reason, they are equal or lower in markup to one ounce APE's at apmex. This is a welcome quirk for me though. Full ounces wouldn't afford me great flexibility to dollar cost average into a position.
     
  12. krispy

    krispy krispy

    APEs are also denominated by the US government, and APMEX rounds are not. That's more security and affords you better liquidity than potentially selling APMEX rounds down the road. That's not crazy, that's intelligent. :)
     
  13. SD51555

    SD51555 Active Member

    I've thought about that. I'm a fan of dealing with online dealers. It's not always easy on the sell side due to hours of operation, but you can snag some good deals when ya gotta take a leak at 3am and decide to check the markets.

    The convenience of being able to whip up a sale on the phone vs racing home to pick up your bullion and get to the shop in time before some whale trader sits on the keyboard and closes the door on a trading opportunity is also a benefit. That's why buying and selling apmex branded stuff back to them isn't so much of a concern.
     
  14. krispy

    krispy krispy

    APMEX will always welcome APEs, not so easy to secure the bump in premium the APEs can achieve by reselling APMEX rounds to another buyer or dealer.

    I simply think further down the road to a time when APMEX may not be in business or a trade with parties in another country who are unsure or unaware of whom APMEX is or was, should the firm ever cease operations or change designs, etc.
     
  15. Teddydogno1

    Teddydogno1 Well-Known Member

    I made an offer on a 1/10 yesterday on eBay and got it for $150 delivered (a 1998 which sells a little higher than some). Higher than I liked, but OK for the market I think. The guy wanted to sell me a second one for $145 but "off ebay" which I wasn't comfortable with.

    Rob
     
  16. SD51555

    SD51555 Active Member

    You got a point there Krispy. Hadn't considered that one. May have to slowly purge them out as opportunity arises.
     
  17. Tinpot

    Tinpot Well-Known Member

    $20-$30 over spot is a normal premium for the 1/10th ozers. I'd try to stay at $30 or under. You did well getting one for $150, they pretty much will never retail for less than that at current spot prices.
     
  18. Tinpot

    Tinpot Well-Known Member

    I'm curious, what are you referring to? I don't think Apmex makes any in house platinum rounds. SD51555 is referring to buying 1/2 oz American platinum eagles I believe.
     
  19. SD51555

    SD51555 Active Member

    I picked up my second half ounce platinum eagle today. I was pleasantly surprised to see this one was a 1998. The first was a 2002. It seems those older ones fetch a slightly higher premium vs random year draws. What's even neater, is both of them look like they've never been handled by human hands. Very crisp and clean looking.

    The 2002 has the 2002 design on the back, and not the standard back. I was under the impression only the proof coins got the special reverse image for the year.
     
  20. Teddydogno1

    Teddydogno1 Well-Known Member

    I picked up another 1/10 on Great Collections Sunday for $154 (delivered) in a PCGS MS69 holder. Don't care about the grading, but the price was right for 1/10. I'd like to buy larger but that's harder to fit into the budget.

    Rob
     
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