Golden State Mint, a California company, is one of the world’s most renowned private mints. GSM is known for top-quality silver and gold rounds and bars. Golden State, which joined the American Numismatic Association in 1988, has long been trusted to provide investment-grade silver products.
GSM Silver Products
GSM is best known for producing silver rounds in relatively small sizes. In particular, the company is renowned for its one-ounce silver art rounds, each of which features a distinctive and beautiful design. Golden State also produces rectangular silver bars. Each contains a full troy ounce of silver.
A 1 oz Silver Bar from the Golden State Mint
Because of their relatively small size, individual GSM silver bars are popular among beginning investors. Investors seeking a larger purchase either buy full 20-count tubes containing GSM silver bars, or opt for another mint which offers 10-ounce or 100-ounce silver bars.
Design
The obverse of each GSM silver bar features the round GSM hallmark, along with the bar’s purity and weight. On the reverse, ‘Golden State Mint’ is stamped on the bar diagonally. The design of Golden State Mint’s silver bars is relatively basic and straightforward. All are minted in 99.9% pure silver. GSM silver bars are eligible for silver IRA investments as a result of the company’s strict quality standards.
In addition to these, relatively standard silver bars, GSM also mints custom designs. The company’s in-house die maker and skilled artists enable Golden State to design and produce unique silver art bars and rounds. Each carries the Golden State Mint hallmark. As a result, there are hundreds of GSM silver bar designs that may be available on the secondary market.
Production
GSM’s cutting-edge technology enables the company to mint distinctive, high-quality silver bars. At the Golden State Mint facilities, a specialized, low-waste process is used to make silver bars. Due to this innovation, GSM has been able to reduce its production costs, resulting in lower prices for silver bars. The process is so efficient that GSM often beats their own delivery estimates, producing silver bars faster than promised.
Buying
Golden State has a 100 ounce order minimum when purchasing directly for the mint. For international buyers, this minimum is 500 troy ounces. Investors who wish to purchase a smaller amount of silver can purchase GSM silver bars from many third-party silver dealers. Buying from a coin dealer is a common way to get around this relatively large minimum-purchase requirement.
When buying directly from GSM, orders must be placed by phone, rather than online, since the exact price depends on the spot price of silver. Golden State does publish its per-ounce premiums to help investors calculate the price of GSM silver bars before placing an order.
Packaging
When sent directly by Golden State Mint, the silver bars come in 20-count plastic containers. Often, these sealed containers are open, enabling the bars to be stored or sold individually. When purchased from precious metal dealers, most GSM silver bars are not in a sealed package. Because of this, it is important to buy GSM silver bars from a reputable dealer who can guarantee the condition of the bar, particularly if eye appeal and a blemish-free finish are important to you.
