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About the coins

The Year 2004 marked a distinctive shift in Platinum Eagle Proof design as Mint Sculptor Donna Weaver took over Maletsky’s duties. Weaver came to the U.S. Mint late in her career, not joining until 2000. She retired a mere six years later, but made a big impact during her brief tenure. Among many notable designs, Weaver’s work is most widely known on the American Buffalo Commemorative Silver Dollar and many of the state quarter designs.

Donna Weaver’s dramatic design for the 2004 issue was inspired by the classic Daniel Chester French sculpture titled “America.” French’s “America” stands outside the U.S. Customs House in New York City. Weaver’s envisioning is fairly faithful to French’s original vision with the notable distinction that America’s cape is thrown confidently back over her left shoulder. In French’s sculpture, America’s cape is sweeping forward to protectively cover a figure representing “Labor” rolling the wheels of progress. A Bald Eagle perched atop a branch, in a vigilant posture of readiness, replaces “Labor” in Weaver’s update.

The legend “UNITED STATESOF AMERICA” is arced at the top rim and divided into two parts by America’s head. The fineness and weight legends were also separated for the first time. The “.9995 Platinum” fineness legend held its place arced at the bottom rim. The guaranteed weight legend appears just above the base of America’s throne on the left side of the coin. The West Point “W” mint mark is directly across from the weight legend on the right side of the coin. Like Maletsky from the previous year, Weaver places her initials “DW” in the image appearing just above the center point of the throne’s base.

Original Total Mintage Summary:

The 2004 Platinum Proofs continued the declining total mintage trend with only 8,844 total Proof coins produced. This was a new low by a significant margin, and the 2004 Platinum Eagle Proofs currently rank as the second rarest in the series from 1997-2005. With a paltry total mintage of only 1,073 coins produced, the $50 Proof coin is once again the rarest Proof coin in the entire series.

NGC Certified Population Summary:

Additionally, through June 26, 2009, a total of only 209 four coin Platinum Eagle Proof sets from 2004 had been certified by NGC in Proof 70 condition.

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