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About the coins

Congress mandated that the U.S. Mint change the reverse design of the Platinum Eagle Proof coins each year. The 1998 Platinum Eagle Proofs were the first in a five year series entitled “Vistas of Liberty.” The series marked the first time in history the U.S. Mint ever created a five year design-series for a coin, which is only one of the reasons making the 1998 Platinum Eagle Proof numismatically important.

In 1998, Mint Engraver John Mercanti designed the first reverse in the “Vistas of Liberty” series, known as “Eagle Over New England.” Since joining the Mint in 1974, Mercanti has participated in the creation of a number of famous coins, including the reverse of the current Silver Eagle and the obverse image used on the Platinum Eagles since 1997. Since the obverse Platinum Eagle features Mercanti’s design, this makes the 1998 Platinum Eagle Proof the only Platinum Eagle, Proof or circulated, to feature Mercanti designs on both sides of the coin. For this reason, the 1998 Platinum Proofs are truly unique in American coinage.

The “Eagle Over New England” Platinum Proof depicts a Bald Eagle flying over a rocky shoreline off the coast of New England. A lighthouse perched atop a cliff surveys the beach vista below as the moon rises in the evening sky. The legend “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” is arced and centered across the top rim in two lines. The fineness designation “.9995 Platinum” and the coin’s government guaranteed platinum weight adorn the left rim. The coin’s legal tender denomination is at the bottom center in the ocean’s field. The “W” mint mark designating the West Point Mint as the producer is located at about four o’clock just above the eagle’s tail.

Original Total Mintage Summary:

Including all four denominations, there was a total of 63,468 Platinum Eagle Proofs produced and sold in 1998. While this total is significantly less than the 1997 Platinum Proofs, the total still ranks as the second most populous minted from 1997-2005. For the second year in a row, the $50 Platinum Eagle Proof is the single rarest within the group with only 13,836 total coins produced.

NGC Certified Population Summary:

Additionally, through June 26, 2009, a total of only 265 four coin Platinum Eagle Proof sets from 1998 had been certified by NGC in Proof 70 condition.

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