The year is nearly three-quarters of the way completed, and there have been no 2009 American Platinum Eagle coins available from the United States Mint in any form.
Last year on October 25, 2008, the US Mint had announced the sale of the final inventory of 2008 Platinum Eagle bullion coins. They later announced on November 24, 2008 that their inventory had been depleted and the release of 2009 dated platinum bullion coins would be delayed. Since this date, I am not aware of any communication or update issued by the US Mint with regards to their platinum coin offerings.
During this ten month time period, the price of platinum has recovered from its lows and posted more than a 50% gain. The price of platinum hit its low right around the time the US Mint stopped selling it.
Chart- Kitco.com
This is not the only bullion or collectible bullion coin that the US Mint has delayed this year. Among the list of expected 2009 precious metals coins expected, but still not issued are: fractional Gold Eagle bullion coins, 24 karat Gold Buffalo bullion coins, collectible proof and uncirculated Gold Eagles, collectible proof Gold Buffaloes, collectible proof and uncirculated Silver Eagles, and collectible proof Platinum Eagles. For the missing gold and silver coins, the US Mint has offered blanket explanations about a tight supply of precious metals blanks. (These explanations were posted earlier in the year, when the arguments actually made sense.) There has been no explanation offered for the missing platinum coins.
Incidentally, the Royal Canadian Mint has been selling their platinum coin, the Platinum Maple Leaf, for most of the year. This coin program had actually been suspended after 2002 amidst a lack of demand. The RCM revived the program this year amidst strong demand . Incidentally, this was a coin program that had been suspended since 2002. It was revived in 2009, amidst strong demand from distributors.
During the month of July, sales of physical bullion at the United States Mint were somewhat split. In the case of silver, sales as measured by the number of ounces sold reached the second highest level of the year. In the case of gold, sales as measured in ounces marked the second lowest total for the year.