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Platinum and Palladium Bullion
Buying Guide

with a list of
Reputable Bullion Dealers

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Platinum and Palladium are two precious metals that are in a family of metals called Platinum Group Metals.

Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) are six extremely rare metals that share many of the same chemical, physical and structural properties.

The following are the characteristics of Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) provided courtesy of Johnson Matthey:

• Platinum and Palladium are soft, ductile and resistant to oxidation and high temperature corrosion. They have widespread catalytic uses. In industry they are often used with the addition of other metals, including other PGM.

• Ruthenium and Osmium are hard, brittle and almost unworkable in the metallic state, with poor oxidation resistance, but are valuable as additions to other metals, usually other PGM, and as catalysts.

• Rhodium and Iridium are difficult to work, but are valuable alone as well as in alloys. Their chemical compounds have many uses, and rhodium is a particularly good catalyst.

These metals are all industrial, and rarely are moved by monetary measures like gold and silver, because of this investors who want to buy or sell Platinum and or Palladium should keep their eyes on the metals Supply and Demand.

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Supply of the
Platinum and Palladium
Market

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Platinum Group Metals
Mine Locations & Production

The small orange circles and ovals on the world map below offer you a glimpse into how rare Platinum Group Metals occur in the Earth's crust.

Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) ore deposits are 30 times rarer than gold.  Mine production and the scarcity of platinum group metals are among the first things that investors in Platinum and Palladium should keep in mind.   

Of all the deposits of Platinum and Palladium scattered around the globe, the largest deposits of platinum are found in South Africa, and the largest palladium deposits are found in South Africa and Russia. 

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The following sections of this Platinum and Palladium buying guide provides you with the stepping stones to understand what the are the fundamentals that one needs to know before they buy into these precious metals.

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Recognizing Demand 

Understanding where the demand is for platinum and palladium is the cornerstone of investing in these two precious metals because industry dictates how their prices move.

Automotive Sector

The automotive sector is Platinum and Palladium's largest demand market.

This market sector should be one of the first sectors researched to find out how these metals have moved in the past, are moving now, and what may cause platinum and palladium to move in the future.

Q: What is it about the Automotive sector that influences Platinum and Palladium so much?

A: Catalytic Converters & Hydrogen Fuel Cells

How Catalytic Converters Work

Platinum,  Palladium, and Rhodium are catalysts that are found in Catalytic Converters, which work by neutralizing 99% of a car's toxic exhaust gases to less harmful gases and water.

The gases that come out of an engine before they move through a catalytic converter are Hydrocarbons (HC), Oxides of Nitrogen (Nx), and Carbon Monoxide (CO). 

After the gases move through the PGM honeycomb of a catalytic converter, the catalysts react with the toxic gases, converting them to Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Nitrogen Dioxide (N2), and Water (H2O).

The Environmental Protection Agency has called the Catalytic Converter "One of the Great Environmental Inventions of All Time.”

Gasoline vs. Diesel Catalytic Converters
and What you should know about Hybrid Engines

Investors who want to know the future demand of platinum and palladium should look into the sales of gasoline and diesel auto sector to get a grasp of how much demand their is for these metals.

One important key to knowing which metal will receive more demand in this sector is knowing which metal is used in each type of internal combustion engine, and what kind of vehicle has higher sales.

Gasoline Engines

• Gasoline engines use more Palladium in catalytic converters than Platinum
  

Diesel Engines

• Diesel engines use more Platinum in catalytic converters than Palladium
  

Hybrid Engines

• Hybrid Internal Combustion Engines are made with more Platinum or Palladium depending which fuel they burn because it takes longer for the exhaust pipe to heat up.  Catalytic Converters work more efficiently when they are hot.

Overall catalytic converters are found in generators, motorcycles, buses, tractor trailer trucks, and trains.   They are found in the exhaust systems of almost every thing with an internal combustion engine.

The key is to know what industries use either unleaded gas or diesel engines that determine where demand may grow for Platinum Group Metals.

Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Platinum and Iridium are the two platinum group metals (PGMs) that are used in hydrogen fuel cells.

According to Johnson Matthey, hydrogen fuel cells have been in use for over twenty years.  However, their use in vehicles is still in its early stages, but they are breaking more and more ground every year. 

Currently Toyota, Honda, and Hyundai offer these vehicles, but most of them are in California and Canada, which is where most of their fueling stations are too.  Get Map of Known Fueling Stations

Platinum Supply

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Source: WPIC Platinum Quarterly Q3 2025 page 20

South Africa is the world's largest supplier of platinum, accounting for more than 50% of the global supply, while the rest of the world accounts for a little over 20% of the supply.

The sources of recycled platinum come from Autocatalyst (catalytic converter recycling), jewelery, and industrial recycling.

Source: WPIC Platinum Quarterly Q3 2025 page 20

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Palladium Supply

Source: Johnson Matthey PGM market Report (May 2025 page 25)

From old Report: Since 2018, Palladium supply has been reported as being in decline, in relation to demand, which has helped palladium's price rise considerably, this deficit in supply can be seen in the chart below. From old Report:

Source: Johnson Matthey PGM market Report (May 2025 page 25)

From old Report: In addition to Palladium's limited supply last year, here's an article by Reuters that states that 2019 would be another year of deficit for Palladium supply. From old Report:

02/2019: Palladium supply shortfall will worsen this year -Johnson Matthey - Reuters

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Demand of the
Platinum and Palladium
Market

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Below are a few charts showing you Platinum and Palladium's demand in both Metric Tons (koz) and in Percentages (%).

Platinum Demand

Industrial uses of palladium constitute 65% of demand. 

The automotive sector dominates with over 40% of demand, with other industries taking their stake in the rest of platinum's industrial market.

Jewellery and Physical bullion are greater in platinum's markets than palladium making up 35% of the precious metal's demand.

Source: World Platinum Investment Council

Palladium Demand

Industrial uses of palladium constitute 94% of demand, and it's dominated by the automobile market.

Only about 5% of Palladium demand is used for investments with a very small jewellery demand at 1%.

Source: Johnson Matthey - Market Reports

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The rest of this bullion buying guide provides you with what you need to know as to what is available on the platinum and palladium physical bullion market.    In addition, it provides additional information that physical bullion investors need and a list of reputable online dealers that offer platinum and palladium physical coins and bullion.

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Platinum and Palladium
Bullion Coins
Present and Past

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American Eagle Platinum

1oz. | 1/2oz. | 1/4oz. | 1/10oz.

1997 - Present

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American Eagle Palladium

1 oz.

2017 - Present

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Canadian Platinum
Maple Leaf

1oz.

1988 to Present

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Canadian Palladium
Maple Leaf

1oz.

2005 to Present

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Austrian Platinum
Philharmonic

1oz. | 1/25oz.

2016 to Present

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U.K. Platinum
Queen's Beasts

1oz.

2017 to Present

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Platinum Australian
Kangaroo

2018 to Present

1oz.

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Platinum Australian
Lunar

2020 to Present

1oz.

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Platinum Australian
Platypus

1oz.

2011 - 2018

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Platinum Australian
Koala

1 kg. | 10oz. | 2oz. | 1oz. | 1/2oz | 1/4oz | 1/10oz. | 1/20 oz.

1987 - 2000

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Palladium Australian
Emu

1oz.

1996 - 1998

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Soviet Union / Russian Palladium
Ballerina

1oz. | 1/2oz. | 1/4oz. | 1/10 oz.

1989 - 1995

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PGMs Bullion Bars

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Platinum and Palladium bars are available in all shapes and sizes. 

Bullion bars come in three categories, Minted, Extruded, and Cast a.k.a. Poured bullion.

Most Platinum and Palladium bullion bars are minted which has a lot to due with Platinum and Palladium's limited supply and high melt temperatures.

• Platinum's melt temp is 3,215°F / 1,768°C
• Palladium's melt temp is 2,831°F / 1,555°C
  

Minted bars have a more refined, smoother look than other bullion bars, plus many have a proof-like finish.  

You can find platinum, palladium, and rhodium bullion bars produced by PAMP, Credit Suisse, Valcambi, Johnson Matthey, and Engelhard, among other bullion refiners.

Below you'll find bullion dealers that offer several different types of platinum and palladium bullion.

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List of Reputable
Platinum / Palladium
Bullion Dealers

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Note: As a suggestion to anyone interested in buying bullion from any one of the sites listed below, Please Read each company's ordering instructions and shipping rules carefully.

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Free Shipping on Orders $199+

4.8 star Customer Reviews

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BGASC is one of the largest coin and bullion dealers in the United States.

Buy Gold And Silver Coins.com's goal is to be the kind of dealer you've always wanted to trade with: to be in stock, ship fast, be fair & reasonable, and operate honestly and efficiently.

Every single package they ship is sent fully insured for its time in transit.

Customers all across the country have quickly come to recognize BGASC as one of the fastest, and most trusted online precious metals suppliers in the U.S.

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Money Metals Exchange

Stefan Gleason is president of the Money Metals Exchange, which is a national precious metals investment company and news service with over 500,000 readers and 75,000 customers.

Gleason founded the company in 2010 in direct response to the abusive methods of national advertisers of collectible, and numismatic coins.

Money Metals Exchange believes the average investor should never purchase precious metals that are not priced at or near their actual melt value.

Now you can safeguard your assets from financial turmoil and the devaluing dollar – without paying costly middleman mark-ups or fending off high pressure, bait-and-switch sales tactics.

Savvy, self-reliant investors are embracing Money Metals Exchange as their trustworthy resource for gold and silver bullion.

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SD Bullion

SD Bullion is a Precious Metals Dealer located in Michigan and is part of the Silver Doctor's network.

In 2011, two doctors started the website SilverDoctors.com with one dream: To educate the masses on the value of hard assets and preparation.

The rapid success of this website gave way to the launch of SDBullion.com in March of 2012. SD Bullion now is one of the most trusted, lowest cost online retailers of bullion.

Since 2012, SD Bullion has shipped more than 300,000 orders and hit Inc. Magazines list of 500 Fastest Growing Companies in the United States twice.

They did all this while staying true to their original mission of offering the absolute lowest prices on gold bullion and silver bullion in the industry, guaranteed.

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SilverGoldBull

SilverGoldBull has tens of thousands of satisfied customers who have taken their financial future into their own hands by investing in gold and silver.

This bullion dealer is based in Canada and offers a wide variety of precious metals bullion for you to choose from, their commitment to you is to provide extraordinary service throughout your bullion buying experience.

SilverGoldBull provides you with competitive, up-to-minute pricing and we make sure your precious metals are delivered to your door discreetly and fully insured.
    
SilverGold Bull's in-house customer service representatives will work to assure your satisfaction in a timely, friendly, and professional manner. Never hesitate to get in touch - building relationships with our clients is our number one priority.

If you would like to learn more about what our customers are saying about our service, please view our customer reviews (below).

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Platinum, Gold, and Silver
Bullion Broker &
Storage

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Bullion Vault

The video below goes into further detail about Bullion Vault's services. 

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Other pages you may like...

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