Silver**Silver Bars**Johnson Matthey Silver Bars
Engelhard and Johnson Matthey lead the pack when it comes to silver bullion products, and for good reason. These companies both boast a long history and standout reputations for product quality and authenticity. Both companies stopped producing silver bars many years ago, but collectors and investors were thrilled when Johnson Matthey once again started selling silver bars.
Johnson Matthey first came into being nearly two centuries ago in London. Their business extends beyond precious metals. They also deal in chemicals. In fact, the company produced some of the first catalytic converters in the 1970s to control vehicle pollution.
Throughout the years, the company has earned some major bragging rights for their advancements in precious metals and chemical research. They have won several Queen’s Awards for their innovative processes.
Because of their outstanding reputation, the silver bullion bars that they produced in the 1980s were a hot commodity on the precious metals market. They did not produce enough to meet the demand, making those bars even more desirable and collectible.
The Johnson Matthey bars of today are different in a few ways from those of yesteryear. You can still buy the bars in 1 oz, 10 oz, and 100 oz sizes, but the bars have different features. For example, the 100 oz bars from the 1980s were struck, but the ones produced today are cast (poured).
Also, new bars do not usually have serial numbers. That shouldn’t make you hold back from buying the bars, however. Johnson Matthey did not keep a record of serial numbers when they manufactured bars in the past, so the only thing that a serial number means is that the bar is old. The Johnson Matthey insignia and bar dimensions allow professionals to verify authenticity.
Do these things mean that modern Johnson Matthey bars are somehow of lower quality than the older ones? No. They are still made of 99.9% fine silver and are still a wise purchase for investors who want to expand their precious metals portfolio.
The reasons for the widespread investor crush on Johnson Matthey goes beyond the remarkable quality of the products. It also has to do with the Johnson Matthey name, which in itself carries value because of the company’s exemplary history. Johnson Matthey bars carry outstanding liquidity.
Understandably, collectors are particularly keen to get their hands on older Johnson Matthey bars since their rarity makes them valuable as keepsakes, not just as silver bullion.
If you want to own older Johnson Matthey bars, you have a search on your hands since you will probably have to buy them from individual investors who are out to make a profit. Researching the true value of those bars and having their authenticity verified by an expert can help you get a reasonable deal on them.
However, if you have your sights set on new Johnson Matthey products, JM Bullion has what you want. You can usually expect to pay slightly more for Johnson Matthey bars than you would for comparable products from other manufacturers, but the name makes the bars worth it. JM Bullion proudly sells new Johnson Matthey products to help you pad your precious metals investment portfolio.