Platinum unc. Eagle sales creep ahead

The new platinum numbers were released by the Mint. Drum roll please.

The one-ounce 2008 uncirculated “W” platinum American Eagle saw sales rise by 67 coins to 393. It sounds more exciting if I write that total cumulative sales rose by 20 percent.

There was an increase of 33 coins for the half-ounce size, taking the total to 802.

For the quarter ounce, the increase was smaller still, just 23 coins. The total stands at 2,138.

For the much-watched tenth ounce, the Mint actually reduced the total that has been sold by 38 coins to 2,500 even.

Interestingly, the increase in the four-coin set was the largest individual number at 138, bringing the total cumulative sales to 1,191 sets.

Adding up all of the issue prices we get sales of $415,571.95 for the week. If we subtract the backward March of the tenth ounce, the net total sales for the past week amounts to $410,443.85.

In an age of $700 billion bank bailouts, that number seems rather small.