Palladium is a precious metal that has good characteristics for coinage, but its use in general circulation coins has been very limited. Curiously, one of the earliest coin uses of native platinum (before palladium was identified and separated from the naturally-occurring metal) was in the Spanish colonies of South America, where it was used to make counterfeit gold coins. The bogus coins were struck in native platinum, sometimes within the same mint where the legitimate gold coins were pressed, then they were gilded with gold, and passed off as pure gold.

In 1967, the South Pacific island nation of Tonga issued some palladium general circulation coins commemorating the coronation of King Taufa Ahau Tupou IV, perhaps the first issue using palladium. From 1987 to 1990, Portugal began issuing palladium proof coins as part of a series with other metals.

Also in 1987, France issued a 100 Franc palladium bullion proof coin featuring the bust of Lafayette. 1987 was a popular year for palladium bullion; the Isle of Man, an island kingdom in the Irish Sea, issued a palladium coin in commeroration of the bicentennial of the United States’ Constitution and featuring Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse and and on the reverse are 11 U.S. presidents encircling the Statue of Liberty. Please see the picture in the sidebar.

From 1989 to 1995, Russia made some limited palladium bullion issues, known as the ballerina series because the obverse would typically feature a ballerina striking a pose.

China struck its first palladium Pandas in 1989, but none have been produced since then until this year, when they minted 8,000 100 Yuan palladium coins featuring the lovely kissing pandas.

Australia produced some palladium bullion coins in an “Emu” series from 1995 to 1997. Four different mintings were done with variations on the Emu, a flightless bird, for each. The coins, both proof and bullion, are one troy ounce of 99.95% pure palladium with a face value $A40. The first limited bullion version sold 10 percent over the prevailing palladium price. Australia marketed the first proof or collector version at $A350 - the number of proofs minted 2,500. The Perth Mint suspended the Emu series when the price of palladium doubled in 1998.

New Slovakian Issue
On May 1st 2004, the largest expansion of the European Union in its history took place and the 15 member countries were joined by 10 new ones – Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. On May 3, 2004, the Republic of Slovak issued a pentagon shaped coin commemorating the occasion. Minted in palladium with selective plating of gold, 7,200 proof coins were struck, 40mm in size and weighing 24.8828 g, with a face value of 10,000Sk.

List of all Palladium coins (1966-2007)