We studied the initial stage of a Pt monolayer produced by surface-limited redox replacement (SLRR) using polarization-dependent total reflection fluorescence X-ray absorption fine structure (PTRF-XAFS). Different from the widely accepted understanding that metallic monolayer islands are formed, our XAFS showed that the Pt monolayer, initially present on the Au(111) substrate, was mainly in the form of a planar [PtCl4](2-) complex with its molecular plane parallel to Au(111). This result provides a new insight into the mechanism of SLRR.