Buying Perth Mint Gold Bars

As gold bullion prices remain in record-high territory, investors around the globe are increasingly turning to precious metals as an alternative investment for personal wealth. With a growing number of investors looking into bullion, it is important that individuals have a good base of knowledge about refineries and mints around the globe before investing. There are refineries in many different countries producing gold bars on a daily basis. Some of these companies have been operating for centuries, while others date back just a few decades. The Perth Mint being one of those with a long and storied history.

One of the most established refineries on the planet is the Perth Mint in Australia. With over one century of experience, the refining and minting operation at the Perth Mint has been working with a variety of precious metals for 100 years. From sovereign coins to gold bars, the Perth Mint has a track record for excellence that is matched by few others in the world. The most comparable mint in respects to coin and bullion production would have to be the Royal Canadian Mint which also puts out investment-quality bullion in addition to national coins.

Past & Present Day Operations at Perth Mint

The Perth Mint, originally a branch of Britain’s Royal Mint, was established in 1899. The British Empire determined that it was foolish to mine gold and ship it to the official Royal Mint in London, only to distribute sovereign coins and gold bars back to the colonies. The Perth Mint was built in Perth, Australia because that region of Western Australia was a gold-rich area for the British Empire.

The mint refined gold sovereign coins from day one, as well as producing gold bars and other bullion products. In 1931, the British Empire discontinued the use of sovereign coins and the mint refocused operations on other coins as well as gold bullion refining and production. In 1970, British ownership of the Perth Mint was transferred to the Government of Western Australia. In 1990, a new refinery was built near Perth International Airport.

Today, the mint continues to produce gold and silver coins for the Government of Australia, as well as producing numerous other bullion products. The primary mission statement of Perth Mint is the “refining of gold and silver for London Good Delivery bars.”

Perth Mint Gold Bullion

The Perth Mint is unique among precious metal refiners in that it actually has a greater focus on the production of silver bars compared to gold bars. While the mint offers silver bars in weights ranging from ½ oz to 1,000 oz, it produces the vast majority of its gold bars in just a few sizes. Those currently offered include the 5g, 10g, 20g, 1 oz, and 10 oz. Among these, the most popular is the 1 oz Perth Mint Gold Bar, which sells for around $20-$40 over spot.

All Perth Mint gold bars are minted with the same design features no matter the weight and size. These features have become instantly recognizable around the globe as a sign of quality and legitimacy from the Perth Mint. On the front side of every Perth Mint Gold Bar is the official seal of the Perth Mint, bearing the name of the mint as well as the country of origin (Australia). Below this stamp, investors will find the purity, metal, and weight stamped onto every bar.

On the opposite side of each gold bar is the repeating motif of a leaping kangaroo. The assay card contains all of the information about the bar specifications. This includes weight, metal purity and a unique serial number.

Perth Mint Gold Bar Security Features

All Perth Mint gold bars are sold in a tamper-proof, green card. The CertiCard security feature of the bar’s protective case ensures investors that their gold bars have not been tampered with in any way. The Perth Mint does not stamp serial numbers onto its smaller bars, and in fact does not stamp any gold bars with serial numbers.

However, the mint does provide an assay card inside every tamper-proof case. The reverse side of every assay card features the technical specifications for the bar (weight, purity, and metal) as well as the bar number and signature of the Chief Assayer at the Perth Mint. The assay also features verification of where the bar was produced and certified.

Other Perth Mint Bullion Products

Gold bullion bars are an important facet of the operations at the Perth Mint, but as mentioned earlier, it is involved in the production of a number of other precious metals too. Perth Mint Silver Bars, like their gold bars, are recognized around the globe for quality and legitimacy. Silver bars are produced in weights ranging from 1/2 oz to 1,000 oz. The Perth Mint brandmark is only stamped onto the 400 oz and 1,000 oz silver bars, along with the serial number for each bar.

The smaller weights of silver bars feature only the brandmark of the Perth mint. Due to the global identity of the Perth Mint, many of its gold and silver bars can be traded without an assay card. However, the mint does provide the assay card for the vast majority of first time transactions involving its precious metals.

In addition to producing gold and silver bars for distribution on the London Bullion Market, the Perth Mint also produces a variety of coins in gold, silver, and platinum for investors. There are 10 different gold coin series produced and distributed for investors by the Perth Mint. Just like the gold bars, each gold coin features 99.99% pure gold and is available in a variety of weights and finishes.

For those interested in investing in other precious metals, the Perth Mint also produces a wide range of silver and platinum coins. Currently, there are 37 silver coin series minted by Perth Mint. There is one additional platinum coin series, the Discover Australia series, minted and sold by the Perth Mint.