History

Argor, which comes from Argen (Silver) and Oro (Gold) opened its refinery in 1951 in Chiasso, Switzerland. in 1973, The Union Bank of Switzerland took over the refinery. In 1986, Heraeus began a new partnership, with Union Bank of Switzerland retaining 75% ownership. In 1998, UBS withdrew all holdings, Heraeus held 35%, and CommerzBank International took a 35% holding.

Heraeus began in Germany and has been in the precious metals business for more than 155 years. In 1999, Heraeus took over management of Argor, creating Argor-Heraeus. They have production centers in Switzerland, Italy and Chile, and their headquarters are in Hanau, Germany. The company holds licenses from the Swiss Central Office for Precious Metal Control, and currently holds more than 5,500 patents. Argor-Heraeus Precious Metals and Technology Group is accredited by the London Bullion Market Association , Tokyo Commodity Exchange, New York Mercantile Exchange, Commodity Exchange , London Metal Exchange and the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre.

Prestige

Considered to be a leader in the precious metals industry, Argor-Heraeus is one of five refiners which include Metalor Technologies (Switzerland), PAMP (Switzerland), Rand Refinery Limited (South Africa) and Tanaka Kikinzoku (Japan) as referees for the control of precious metal assaying quality standards of the London Bullion Market Association. Before becoming sworn public officials, the certified assayers employed by Argor-Heraeus are trained and tested by the Swiss Central Office for Precious Metals Control.

Minted Gold bars

Each Argor-Heraeus minted gold bar comes sealed in a tamper-resistant package with assay certificate on the front, which includes fineness, weight, serial number and assayer signature. The front of the gold bars display the Argor-Heraeus Logo, Switzerland, weight of the gold bar, 999,9 (99.99% fine), A-H Melter / Assayer stamp, and serial number. The back of the bar shows a repeating AH logo motif. These bars are available in weights of 1 gram, 2 grams, 5 grams, 10 grams, 20 grams, 1 ounce, 50 grams and 100 grams.

Kinebars

Argor-Heraeus set new standards for security and elegance with the release of the kinebar. Each bar has a hologram that is impossible to replicate, enhancing the level of security incorporated. Because of the extra costs for production, kinebars are slightly more expensive than standard gold bars. This kind of technological advancement is what places Argor-Heraeus strides ahead of other refiners.

Conclusion

Truly one of the best refiners in the world, Argor-Heraeus gold bars are valued not only for their content, but for the exquisite beauty they bestow. First time buyers as well as seasoned collectors will appreciate the quality and elegance of the Argor-Heraeus gold bars. As always, make sure any purchases you make are only through reputable dealers.