Argor-Heraeus is a Swiss based precious metals refinery that belongs to the German based Heraeus Precious Metals. The company specialises in the production, refining and manufaturing of precious metals products for banks, precious metals trading companies, and industrial consumers. Argor-Heraeus is one of the four main precious metals refineries in Switzerland, with its headquarters located in Mendrisio, Ticino, in the Italian part of Switzerland.
A History of Argor-Heraeus
Argor SA was initially founded in 1951 in Chiasso, Ticino, Switzerland. In 1973, UBS acquired the company. Shortly thereafter, in 1986, a joint venture was established between Argor SA and Heraeus, and Argor-Heraeus was formed. Argor-Heraeus SA moved their headquarters to Mendrisio, Switzerland. Since that time, the company has continued to open up new branches, including a major one in Santiago de Chile. The company is one of the foremost names in the production of retail investment level precious metals products. In addition to their own line of gold, silver, platinum and palladium bars, Argor-Heraeus manufacture bullion bars for UBS and for the Austrian Mint.
The Kinebar
In 1994, Argor-Heraeus launched the Kinebar. A kinebar is a bullion bar with a laser hologram inscribed on the back of the bar. The laser hologram is impossible to copy, and therefore certifies the authenticity of the bar. Argor-Heraeus currently produce 4 separate kinebars:
- An Argor Heraeus kinebar, which is an 'AH' hologram.
- An Austrian Mint kinebar, which is a hologram of a horse.
- A UBS Kinebar, which copies the three-key logo of the bank.
- A Raiffeisen Kinebar, which is a 'R' hologram.
Popular Argor-Heraeus Products
Argor-Heraeus Bars
Argor-Heraeus bullion bars are very popular with European investors. The brand covers a wide range of products - bars are available to retail investors in gold, silver, platinum and palladium. For smaller sized bars, (up to 100 grams), the Kinebar series is also available. Argor-Heareus gold, platinum and palladium bars are all available in sizes from 1 gram to 1 kilogram. Silver bars are available in larger sizes. The smaller sized Argor-Heraeus bars all come beautifully packaged in a plastic certicard.
Argor-Heraeus also introduced the multigram bar series to it's line of retail investment products. The multigram bar is a series of 1 gram bars individually encapsulated into a certicard. The idea behind the multicard bar is that, in the event of financial collapse, individuals can use the individual 1 gram pieces as an alternate currency.
UBS Bars
Argor-Heraeus manufacture an entire line of bullion bars for the Swiss Bank UBS. These bars are also available in gold, silver, platinum and palladium, in sizes ranging from 1 gram to 1 kilogram. Each bar comes with its own serial number to certify authenticity. Smaller sized bars are sold in a certicard, and larger bars come with an independent certificate. UBS and Credit Suisse are the two Swiss banks with the most prominent precious metals programs, however most Swiss banks do sell smaller pieces of retail bullion. UBS bullion is not readily available in the market, and therefore is sold at a higher premium than other bullion brands.
Austrian Mint Bars
Argor-Heraeus produce a range of bullion bars for the Austrian Mint. These bars are available in all sizes, but the most popular ones are the smaller kinebars. The Austrian Mint bars come with the 'Munze Osterreich' logo as well as the Argor-Heraeus stamp certifying that the bars are manufactured by Argor-Heraeus. Each kinebar is individually sealed in its own certicard to prevent damage. The hologram 'kinebar' design certifies the bar's authenticity. Argor Heraeus also manufacture the philharmonic coin series for the Austrian Mint. The Austrian Philharmonic gold and silver coins are highly popular with European precious metals investors.
Buy Argor Heraeus Bullion
Argor Heraeus
UBS
Austrian Mint
All Argor-Heraeus bullion products are a minimum of 999 fine investment grade bullion. You can recognise products that have been manufactured by the famous Swiss refinery because they contain the Argor-Heraeus hallmark. If you are considering investing in precious metals, the Argor-Heraeus range of products is an excellent choice. The larger bars contain a relatively low premium, and the brand is well known and recognised worldwide, meaning that the products are easy to resell if you chose to do so at a later date. SwissBullion.eu sell a wide range of Argor-Heraeus bullion products to its clients.
