C. Hafner
Also: C. Hafner GmbH + Co. KG, Hafner precious metals
C. Hafner is a German precious-metal refinery and semi-finished goods maker founded in Pforzheim in 1850, refining gold, silver and platinum-group metals and producing certified bars and semi-finished products for industry and the jewellery trade.
C. Hafner counts among Germany's most tradition-rich precious-metal firms. The family business was founded in 1850 in Pforzheim — Germany's "gold city" of the day — and today is headquartered in Wimsheim, Baden-Württemberg. C. Hafner brings together two core activities under one roof: the refinery (refining and purchase of scrap metals, alloys and industrial residues) and the manufacture of precious-metal semi-finished products such as sheets, wires, tubes and profiles for the jewellery, dental and electronics industries.
Quality and certifications
C. Hafner is a member of the LBMA Good Delivery List for gold and silver — the globally recognised standard for tradable bars in international wholesale (see LBMA fixing). Bars from the House of Hafner meet the strict requirements for fineness, weight tolerance, surface finish and marking. Each bar carries the company stamp, the serial number and the fineness as a hallmark.
Beyond this, the company is certified to ISO 9001 (quality management) and ISO 14001 (environmental management) and is a member of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC). Its supply chain complies with the LBMA Responsible Gold standard, which means: no financing of conflict, no human-rights abuses and traceability of the raw-metal sources.
Product portfolio at a glance
| Area | Example products | Fineness (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Gold bars | 1 g – 1 kg, various denominations | 999.9 |
| Silver bars | 1 oz – 1 kg | 999.0 |
| Platinum bars | 1 oz – 500 g | 999.5 |
| Semi-finished goods | Sheets, wires, tubes, granules for industry & jewellery | alloy-dependent |
| Recycling / affinage | Purchase & refining of scrap gold, broken gold, industrial residues | – |
| Dental alloys | Special alloys for dental technology | alloy-dependent |
Recognising and checking bars
Genuine C. Hafner bars carry a stamped or lasered serial number and are often packaged in a sealed blister (assay card). Anyone who knows the current gold price and checks a bar's weight can quickly establish its material value with the melt value calculator. For coins and smaller bars, the coin authenticity check is also recommended.
Tax treatment in Ireland
C. Hafner gold bars with a fineness of at least 995.0 and a weight from 1 gram qualify as investment gold and are exempt from VAT on purchase in Ireland under the VAT Consolidation Act 2010, Schedule 1 (mirroring EU Directive 2006/112/EC, articles 344–356). Silver and platinum bars, by contrast, attract the standard Irish VAT rate of 23 %. On resale, a private individual's gain is liable to Capital Gains Tax at 33 %, after the annual personal exemption of €1,270; unlike Germany, Ireland grants no holding-period relief.
Note: tax treatment depends on the individual case; where in doubt, consult a qualified tax adviser. This is not tax advice.
In brief
C. Hafner stands for more than 170 years of precious-metal expertise, LBMA-certified bars (gold 999.9, silver 999.0) and sustainable raw-material chains. The firm's gold bars qualify as VAT-exempt investment gold in Ireland and trade internationally without a liquidity discount — the LBMA listing is the decisive mark of quality.