Bullion quality — LBMA, fineness, authentication
Every product in our catalog is from an LBMA Good Delivery refiner or a major sovereign mint. Bars ship in tamper-evident assay packaging with individual serial numbers. Sovereign coins carry mint-specific security features (Bullion DNA, KINEBAR, latex pattern). We never sell numismatic or 'collector' bullion.
6 questions
What is LBMA Good Delivery?+
The London Bullion Market Association maintains a register of refiners whose output meets the wholesale market's purity, weight, and assay standards. A bar from an LBMA Good Delivery refiner is interchangeable in the wholesale market. We stock PAMP, Valcambi, Argor-Heraeus, Royal Canadian Mint, Royal Mint, Austrian Mint, Perth Mint, and Heimerle + Meule.
What about non-LBMA mints?+
The U.S. Mint and South African Mint are not on the LBMA list (that's a refiner list, not a mint list), but their sovereign coins — Gold Eagle, Buffalo, Silver Eagle, Krugerrand — are universally recognized and have tight resale spreads. Their coins ship from the mint sealed.
How do I verify what I receive?+
Compare the bar's serial number against the assay card it ships with. PAMP CertiPAMP packaging is tamper-evident — if it's been opened, contact us immediately. Royal Canadian Mint Maple Leaf coins can be optically verified at any RCM Bullion DNA-equipped dealer.
Could you ship me a counterfeit?+
Not realistically — every product comes directly from the mint or refiner's authorized distributor in original sealed packaging. We never buy back metal from the secondary market for resale (that's where counterfeits enter the supply chain). If you ever doubt authenticity on delivery, photograph everything and email us within 48 hours.
What's fineness and why does it matter?+
Fineness = purity in parts per 1000. .9999 fine = 99.99% pure. Most modern sovereign coins (Maple, Britannia, Philharmonic) and refiner bars are .9999. The American Gold Eagle is .9167 (22-karat alloyed with copper for durability — full troy oz of gold content preserved). Higher fineness can qualify for tax exemptions (EU investment gold ≥99.5%, Singapore IPM, Australian GST).
Do you sell numismatic or collectible coins?+
No. We only sell investment-grade bullion: priced from live spot + a transparent premium, no numismatic markup. The Perth Mint Lunar series has some numismatic resale appeal but is priced at our standard bullion premium at purchase.
Other topics
- Orders — placing, tracking, modifying — How the order flow works from cart to delivery, what you can change after placing, and what happens at each step.
- Payment — cryptocurrencies, OxaPay, confirmations — How crypto payments work end-to-end via OxaPay, what each network costs you in confirmations and fees.
- Shipping — FedEx, insurance, customs — FedEx Priority International for every order, what we declare, what you pay in customs.
- Refunds and cancellations — When refunds are possible, how they're paid back, and what happens to expired or undelivered orders.
- KYC and AML thresholds — Identity verification thresholds, what data we collect, retention.
- Bitcoin specifics — BTC on-chain and Lightning — payment, confirmations, security.
- Monero (XMR) specifics — Why we accept XMR directly, how it works, discounts.