Practically 100 percent of a 10 oz silver bar’s value is derived from its precious, pure commodity melt value. In essence, a bar’s fabricating brand is unimportant. However, much attention is given to the hallmark brand associated with this ten troy ounce fistful of silver. The brand with the greatest longstanding legacy in silver bars is none other than Johnson Matthey. This article discusses why Johnson Matthey holds this legendary status and highlights the brand’s rich history created by Johnson Matthey Gold & Silver Refining Inc. and its fabricating successors.
Johnson Matthey stands out for its global recognition, longstanding trust over many decades, and its impact on the legitimacy of 10 oz silver bars in the overall investment marketplace. The brand is unequaled in terms of heritage, global trust, and historical depth of impact in the silver bullion market.
In 1817, the 25-year-old Percival Norton Johnson, who had apprenticed as an assayer in his father’s business, established his own assay company. This event marked the beginning of the Johnson Matthey legacy. Johnson specialized in assaying and refining gold from Brazil and was recognized for perfecting a method to extract palladium from gold, which made its color more strikingly pure gold. In 1846, Johnson became a Fellow of the Royal Society. At age 59, in 1851, he entered into a partnership with stockbroker George Matthey. Their combined efforts and Johnson’s refining expertise led to the business being appointed official assayer and refiner to the Bank of England in 1852.
Although Johnson Matthey’s founding assayer retired in 1860 at age 68, he had already established the company as a leading pioneer in assaying and refining technology of the day. Indeed, Johnson Matthey earned the distinguished commission to fabricate the world’s Kilogram Reference Standard in 1874, made from an ultra-hard alloy of 90 percent platinum and 10 percent iridium. This standard is kept at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures, which also produced international copies for distribution. Similarly, Johnson Matthey produced the International Prototype Meter and many copies, cementing its reputation as a technical giant in precious metals refining.
Johnson Matthey became an LBMA-approved bar brand in 1961. Among the top 12 investor silver bar brands today, it stands alone with the Royal Canadian Mint in having held this distinction prior to the U.S. dropping the Gold Standard in 1971, when gold began to trade freely from its $35 per ounce fixed price.
During the 1980s and 1990s Reagan era, conservatism strangled socialist inflation and bolstered currencies, causing silver and gold to fall out of favor with investors. Though production figures are unavailable, it is understood that Johnson Matthey ceased production of small-format struck silver bars during this market cycle in the early 1980s.
Although it has been decades since Johnson Matthey Refining exited the direct fabrication of small-format silver bar production in America, the name alone commands respect, strong premiums over melt, and instant recognition across continents. JM’s influence on the silver bullion market is unmatched.
On March 5, 2015, Asahi Holdings acquired Johnson Matthey’s gold and silver refining and bullion bar manufacturing business. This divestment aligned with Johnson Matthey’s focus on chemistry and high-technology solutions. Asahi took over the refining and bar production facilities formerly operated by Johnson Matthey, which now produce Asahi-branded precious metal bars under the Asahi Refining brand.
Asahi, founded in Japan in 1952, rapidly expanded globally with a stellar reputation. It gained accreditation as a good delivery brand from the LBMA (London Bullion Market Association), COMEX (New York Commodity Exchange), and TOCOM (Tokyo Commodity Exchange). Asahi silver bars meet the same quality standards as Johnson Matthey bars and bear a striking similarity due to the continuation of Johnson Matthey operations.
Although Johnson Matthey Gold & Silver Refining Inc. no longer exists, both vintage and newly minted Johnson Matthey silver bars are still available. However, it is easy to overpay for Johnson Matthey bullion bars. Don’t be fooled by high prices.
For a broad strategic approach to market intel, get in touch with America’s longstanding pioneering silver coin and bullion dealer, Monex, having executed investor silver transactions of 1.8 billion ounces. We have been located at the same offices at 4910 Birch Street in Newport Beach for over 50 years, fostering reliability you can depend on.
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