In July, the United States Mint will release the 2013-W Proof American Platinum Eagle. Nine design candidates for the reverse of this year’s platinum coin have already been reviewed.
Struck from one ounce of 99.95% and around since 1997, proof American Platinum Eagles feature annually changing reverses. Beginning in 2009, a six-year series was launched with reverse designs emblematic of the six principles found in the preamble of the U. S. Constitution. These design themes by year are:
2009 – To Form a More Perfect Union
2010 – To Establish Justice
2011 – To Insure Domestic Tranquility
2012 – To Provide for the Common Defense
2013 – To Promote the General Welfare
2014 – To Secure the Blessings of Liberty to Ourselves and our Posterity
The U.S. Mint had multiple designs created emblematic of this year’s "To Promote the General Welfare" theme. These design candidates have been reviewed by the Citizen’s Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) and the United States Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), the two bodies are tasked with reviewing designs for American coins and medals.
Of the nine design candidates, the Commission of Fine Arts recommended design candidate AEP-02:
"The Commission members expressed appreciation for including images of the recent issues of platinum eagle coins in the presentation; they recommended alternative #2 as the most appropriate design when considered with the previous coins of the series. Consistent with their continuing preference for simplicity in the design of coins and medals, they recommended removal of the horizon line and the ring of stars from the right side of the composition."
As for Citizen’s Coinage Advisory Committee, members preferred AEP-03:
"The Committee strongly recommended design AEP-03 showing "Young America" symbolized in the form of an elegant young woman contrasted against images of interlocking gears emblematic of the unique workings of the state and federal governments of the United States in promoting the general welfare of the nation. The design garnered 28 of the 30 possible points through the Committee’s scoring process. Members commented on the well balanced composition of the design, the successful balance of image and negative space and that it would create a beautiful and fitting image for the reverse of the coin."
The final selection for the 2013-W Proof American Platinum Eagle will be announced before its July release.
2013 American Platinum Eagle Design Candidates
All of the candidate designs are below. Any of the images may be enlarged with a click.
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