NGC Offers Special Label for First US Palladium Coin

2017 American Palladium Eagle Note: The coin images shown are based on US Mint concepts. The actual coins may look different.

Palladium is a rare silver-white metal that wasn’t discovered until the early 1800s. Its chief industrial use is in the catalytic converters of automobiles; in jewelry, it is one option used in an alloy to create “white gold.”

US law calls for the Palladium Eagle to have a face value of $25 and weigh 1 troy ounce with .9995 fine palladium. Trading around $900 an ounce (as of mid-August 2017), palladium remains below its historic high of nearly $1,100 an ounce, set in early 2001.

The law specifically directs the Palladium Eagle to feature two high relief designs by Adolph Weinman, the American sculptor whose work in the early 20th century still resonates through the numismatic world today. Weinman designed the obverse of the Mercury Dime (1916-1945), and his obverse on the Walking Liberty Half Dollar (1916-1947) is now used as the obverse for the widely collected American Silver Eagle one-ounce coin.

The Palladium Eagle’s obverse is a reincarnation of Weinman’s design for the obverse of the Mercury Dime, which features Liberty in a Phrygian cap often mistaken for Mercury’s wings.

The Palladium Eagle’s reverse comes from Weinman’s design for the reverse of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) gold medal, first issued in 1907 and given to such luminaries as Frank Lloyd Wright and I.M. Pei. It features an eagle clutching a branch in its beak.

To commemorate this historic occasion, NGC will offer an attractive certification label that features the coin’s eagle motif and highlights the significance of the palladium composition.

Submissions instructions:

• Submit Palladium Eagles under the Modern grading tier or higher. If Early Releases or First Releases is desired, select Early Releases (+$10) or First Releases (+$10).
• Learn more about Early Releases and First Releases here. Also see Early Releases / First Releases cutoff dates.
• The default label will be NGC’s Palladium Label #923 (shown below).
  
  
   
• There is no additional fee for the Palladium label but an additional $10 fee applies to the Early Releases and First Releases designations, if requested.
• If you would prefer the NGC Early Releases Blue (#378) label, write "NGC Early Releases Blue (#378)" on the NGC Submission Form. If you would prefer the NGC First Releases Blue (#379) label, write "NGC First Releases Blue (#379) on the NGC Submission Form. If you would prefer the Standard Brown (#377) label, write "Standard Brown (#377)" on the NGC Submission Form.
• If you would like Mint packaging returned, select “Return Mint Packaging” in section 3 of the NGC Submission Form.

Questions? Contact NGC Customer Service at service@NGCcoin.com or 1-800-NGC-COIN (1-800-642-2646).

Dealers should contact Miles Standish at Miles@NGCcoin.com or Scott Heller at SHeller@NGCcoin.com for bulk submissions.

Collectors Society paid members can submit their coins directly to NGC. Not an NGC Collectors Society member? Paid memberships start at just $39/year. Join today.