C. Hafner
Also: C. Hafner GmbH + Co. KG, Hafner Precious Metals
C. Hafner is a German precious metals refinery and semi-finished products manufacturer 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 is one of Germany's most tradition-rich precious metals companies. The family business was founded in 1850 in Pforzheim — Germany's "gold city" at the time — and today has its headquarters in Wimsheim (Enzkreis district, Baden-Württemberg). C. Hafner unites two core areas under one roof: the refinery (refining and purchasing 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 regarding fineness, weight tolerance, surface finish, and marking. Each bar carries the company stamp, serial number, and fineness as a hallmark.
In addition, the company is certified to ISO 9001 (quality management) and ISO 14001 (environmental management) and is a member of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC). The supply chain complies with the LBMA standard Responsible Gold, which means: no financing of conflicts, no human rights violations, and traceability of 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 | Sheets, wires, tubes, granules for industry & jewellery | alloy-dependent |
| Recycling / Affinage | Purchasing & refining of scrap gold, broken gold, industrial residues | – |
| Dental alloys | Special alloys for dental technology | alloy-dependent |
Recognising and Testing Bars
Genuine C. Hafner bars carry an embossed or laser-engraved serial number and are often packaged in a sealed blister (assay card). Anyone who knows the current gold price and checks the weight of a bar can quickly determine the material value using the melt value calculator. For coins and smaller bars, the coin authenticity test is additionally recommended.
Tax Classification
Gold bars from C. Hafner with a fineness of at least 995.0 ‰ and a weight from 1 gram qualify as investment gold under the EU VAT Directive 2006/112/EC and are exempt from VAT on purchase in Malta. Silver and platinum bars, by contrast, are subject to the standard Maltese VAT rate of 18%. On resale, private individuals in Malta pay no capital gains tax on the disposal of movable private property such as precious metal bars. (In Germany, by contrast, a one-year speculative holding period under § 23 EStG applies before gains are tax-free.)
Note: tax treatment depends on the individual case; in case of doubt, consultation with a qualified adviser is recommended.
In Brief
C. Hafner stands for over 170 years of precious metals expertise, LBMA-certified bars (gold 999.9 ‰, silver 999.0 ‰), and sustainable raw material chains. The house's gold bars qualify as investment gold and are VAT-exempt in Malta, and are traded internationally without a liquidity discount — the LBMA listing is the decisive quality feature.