Origin & Certification
All glossary terms in the category Origin & Certification.
Argor-Heraeus is one of the world's leading refineries and precious-metal processors, based in Mendrisio, Switzerland, renowned for the highest purity standards and its Kinebar hologram.
An assay certificate is an authenticity document issued by an accredited testing body that formally confirms the fineness, weight and identity of a precious-metal bar.
Münze Österreich AG is Austria's state mint, based in Vienna and issuer of the world-famous Vienna Philharmonic.
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.
A fineness hallmark is a mark struck by an assay office or manufacturer on precious-metal articles that states the proportion of pure metal in thousandths (‰) or in carats.
A hallmark (also called a punch mark) is an official or trade test mark that permanently and tamper-resistantly documents the fineness and origin of a precious-metal object.
Heraeus is a German precious-metals company based in Hanau that ranks among the world's leading refineries and bar producers and is an accredited LBMA Good Delivery supplier.
The LBMA Good Delivery standard is the globally recognised quality norm for tradeable gold and silver bars in institutional wholesale, setting minimum requirements for fineness, weight, shape and refiner origin.
A mint is a state-authorised or state-run institution that strikes or casts coins and bars from precious metals to defined weight and fineness standards.
A mint mark is a small symbol or letter on a coin that uniquely identifies the mint that issued it.
PAMP Suisse is a Swiss precious-metals refinery founded in 1977 and based in Castel San Pietro, ranking among the most prestigious and widely traded bar producers in the world.
The Perth Mint is Australia's state-owned coin-minting institution, founded in 1899, and ranks among the world's most respected refineries and producers of investment gold, silver and platinum.
Rand Refinery is the largest integrated gold refinery in the world and the maker of the Krugerrand, the best-known gold bullion coin on the planet.
Responsible gold is gold that has been mined and traded along the entire supply chain in line with ethical, social and environmental minimum standards.
The Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) is Canada's state mint and one of the most respected precious metal institutions in the world, known for the Maple Leaf and for the very highest purity standards.
The Royal Mint is the state mint of the United Kingdom and one of the oldest continuously operating mints in the world, known for bullion coins such as the Britannia and the Sovereign.
A unique identifier engraved or stamped onto a precious-metal bar by its maker, enabling traceability, authenticity checks and matching to the accompanying certificate.
Umicore is a Belgian technology group and one of the world's leading precious metal refiners, whose bars and coin blanks are accredited to LBMA Good Delivery.
The United States Mint is the official coinage authority of the United States, issuing legal tender as well as gold, silver and platinum bullion coins since 1792.
Valcambi is one of the world's largest and most respected gold refiners, based in Balerna in the Swiss canton of Ticino, renowned for the highest purity standards and its patented CombiBar system.