Off the top of my head, Catalytic converters, electronics, synthetic fiber production, Jewelry, Chemical industry (platinum is used as a catalyst in a lot of reactions and most of the time palladium can be used instead of platinum.) The bill calls for a mintage of 15,000.
If they minted a UHR palladium coin and limited it to 15,000 pieces I'll bet that it would be a sell out in two to three days. Just ordering the coin would itself be like a lottery--- who gets through on line and via telephone. Been there done that with the gold UHR. MQR
Take a look at this folks...... http://www.numismaster.com/ta/numis/Article.jsp?ad=article&ArticleId=6546
Can they make an UHR 2+ ouncer around or over 40mm? The extra thickness sure lowers the obverse & reverse surface area. The larger size in silver would be a super nice coin. I collect Australia Kookaburras in two ounce silver, i really prefer that size. Silver eagle(40.6 mm). Peace dollar (38.1 mm).
that article explains it all.... "....both senators advocated the coin whose metal would come from the Stillwater Mine located in Montana. It is the only palladium mine in the United States." Looks like the two Montana senators are just trying to "bring the pork and potatoes" home in the grand ole tradition of looking out for their constituents. Personally I hope the don't do a palladium coin in a UHR double eagle format... it would hurt the value of the 2009 gold versions.
The silly thing is it really won't create any more jobs. Production is probably already at maximum. If so there is little that can be done to increase it. So the only thing the bill would do is transfer 15,000 oz of the mines output from it's current customers to the mint, forcing their current customers to seek the metal they need from overseas suppliers. Net result of the bill will be to worsen our balance of trade.
Don't blame the Mint on this one! Don't blame the Mint on this one! This is the doing of the Senators from Montana. (It's like a mini-version of the Bland-Allison Act) Now -- I'll give everyone exactly *one* guess as to where the only Palladium mine in the US is. This is just a jobs creation bill. (Or, rather, a "help keep employed the only palladium mine in the US" bill).
recently palladium and platinum up a lot. and i don't know why?. next maybe gold and silver. it is a rotation i think.
i knew that the platinum and palladium will rise fast against the gold and silver. but i just don't like the platinum and palladium as a coin. even i am an investor but i am also a collector.