Engelhard

Engelhard was an active private mint for more than one hundred years, from 1902 to 2006.

The Iselin, NJ-based Fortune 500 company was started by German immigrant Charles W. Engelhard, Sr. Over the next 20 years, Engelhard would purchase equity in a large number of precious metal companies. Eventually, the company would go on to hold the claim of being the world’s largest refiner and fabricator of platinum, gold and silver. It also operated the largest precious metals smelter in the world.

As the company grew, it diversified into mineral and chemical manufacturing. This diversification would lead the company towards creating a product for automobiles that would limit toxic emissions from entering the atmosphere. In the 1970s, the company developed and produced the first catalytic converter for use in gasoline engines. The catalytic converter would go on to be one of the firm’s most profitable inventions. As you may or may not know, catalytic converters use small amounts of different metals to neutralize exhaust pollutants, most notably platinum. Other metals used in catalytic converters include rhodium, palladium and more common metals like nickel, copper and iron.

In 2006, Engelhard was purchased by German chemical producer BASF in a deal valued at more than $5 billion. The deal brought an end to an era for Engelhard as its operations were absorbed by its new parent company. The Engelhard name is still widely celebrated by bullion collectors for being one of the finest private mints in modern history. Engelhard bullion may trade at a premium as it is no longer being produced and it is favored by many collectors around the world.

Reviews of Engelhard

Bullion produced by Engelhard is highly regarded for its high-quality and purity standards. As no more is being produced, its products are now highly-prized by collectors, especially older vintage bars. One reasons collectors like Engelhard bullion so much is that there is a wide variety of different looking bars. Some pours are rarer than others, which can add to the value of a particular bar.

Engelhard Mint’s Claim to Fame

After the death of Charles Engelhard Sr., his son Charles Engelhard Jr. took over the company. Engelhard Jr. was the inspiration for the character Auric Goldfinger from the James Bond book and film. Jame Bond creator and author Ian Fleming had met and befriended Engelhard while traveling in South Africa. Like Engelhard, Goldfinger had a thing for racing horses and Goldfinger’s style and appearance were modeled on Engelhard.

Examples of Engelhard Bullion

Engelhard is known for producing the popular American Prospector rounds in both gold and silver. The coins were produced from 1982 to 1988. Proofs of the coin are very rare. Collectors are advised to watch out for Engelhard Prospectors in plastic air-tight containers, as they may be Chinese counterfeits produced starting in 2011.

 

And here is an example of some older Engelhard silver bars stacked on top of each other.

Videos of Engelhard Mint

There are many videos of Engelhard Mint products online, as the company’s bullion has an enthusiastic base of collectors who like to share their Engelhard finds with other enthusiasts.

For example, here is a video featuring a lot of several vintage 20oz silver bars from the Engelhard sovereign mint.

Here is a good look at a 1oz gold bar from Engelhard below.

 

 

 

 

 

Content updated on Jan. 1st, 2023