PAMP, Credit Suisse, Valcambi, Perth Mint, Engelhard and hand-poured bars. Verified on site, quoted against the live spot market, settled in cash or same-day wire.
Bullion has no stones to deduct, no karat to argue about and no condition to assess. A one-ounce PAMP bar is one ounce of .9999 gold, full stop. That makes it the tightest spread we quote — there is very little for a buyer to hedge against, and pricing reflects that.
What we are actually verifying is authenticity, and that is where the work goes. Counterfeit bars are real and they have gotten better, particularly in the kilo range where the payoff justifies the effort.
Weight and dimensions. Gold is extremely dense. Any counterfeit built around a base-metal core is either too light for its size or too large for its weight, and precise measurement catches most fakes immediately.
XRF spectrometry. Reads surface composition. It will not see through a thick gold skin on its own, which is why it is never the only test used.
Ultrasonic and conductivity testing. These read through the bar rather than off its face — the reliable defense against tungsten-core fakes, since tungsten matches gold's density but nothing else about it.
Specific gravity. A displacement measurement that confirms overall density independent of surface condition.
Assay card verification. For sealed bars, the serial and card are checked against the refiner's specifications and, where applicable, their verification system.
All of it happens at the counter with the bar in front of you. Nothing goes into a back room, and nothing is cut, drilled or melted without your explicit go-ahead first.
Old Engelhard and Johnson Matthey poured bars are worth flagging separately. Certain series carry a genuine collector premium above their gold content — hallmarked vintage Engelhard poured bars in particular have a following that pays more than melt. If you have one, do not let it go as generic bullion.
Anything past a few hundred grams should start with a phone call. That lets us confirm current rates for the size, arrange funds so you are not waiting, and set aside assay time so verification is thorough rather than rushed. Large transactions can be settled by same-day bank wire, and everything is documented properly on both sides.
Tell us the refiner and total weight.
Tell us the refiner and total weight.
| Size | Grams | Troy ounces | Typical format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 gram | 1.00 g | 0.0322 oz | CombiBar, assay card |
| 5 gram | 5.00 g | 0.1608 oz | Minted, sealed |
| 1 troy ounce | 31.10 g | 1.000 oz | The global standard |
| 50 gram | 50.00 g | 1.6075 oz | Minted or cast |
| 100 gram | 100.00 g | 3.2151 oz | Minted or cast |
| 10 troy ounce | 311.03 g | 10.000 oz | Cast and poured |
| 1 kilo | 1,000.00 g | 32.1507 oz | Cast, institutional |
Sizes from 1 gram to 1 kilo, from any recognized refiner — PAMP Suisse, Credit Suisse, Valcambi, Perth Mint, Royal Canadian Mint, Argor-Heraeus, Metalor, Engelhard, Johnson Matthey and Asahi. We also buy hand-poured and unbranded bars, which are simply verified by assay before quoting.
Bullion is the tightest spread in the business because there is almost nothing to assess — the bar is either what it claims to be or it is not. Larger positions get better rates. Call with the size and refiner and you will get a real number over the phone rather than a range.
It helps. A sealed PAMP or Credit Suisse bar in its original assay card verifies faster and typically carries a slightly better premium than the same bar loose. But a loose bar is still fully sellable — it just gets verified more thoroughly.
No. Leave sealed bars sealed. The assay card is part of the value and we can verify without breaking it in most cases.
Yes. Without a refiner mark, the bar is assayed rather than taken on faith — usually XRF plus specific gravity, and occasionally a drill or melt for large unmarked pieces. We explain exactly what a given bar needs before doing anything to it.
Yes, and it is worth calling ahead. Anything above a few hundred grams should be arranged in advance so the funds are ready and the assay time is set aside. Larger transactions can be settled by same-day bank wire.
Certain bullion sales trigger a dealer 1099-B filing depending on the form and quantity sold, and any gain may be taxable to you regardless. We follow all federal and New York reporting requirements, but we are not tax advisors — talk to your accountant about your specific situation.
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