Bullion from the Scottsdale Mint

There are an increasing number of private mints operating in the United States, in particular, and around the globe in the 21^st century. Rising precious metal prices and increased demand from numismatists has spurred much of this growth. New private mints are opening, and those that existed prior to the 21^st century boom have significantly expanded their offerings to capitalize on the growth of the market.

Scottsdale Mint is a private minting facility in the United States that has been increasing its product lineup in recent years, expanding across the full range of services to include products such as rounds, bars, and even bullion coins minted for foreign governments. The following paragraphs provide an overview of the Scottsdale Mint, its operations, and popular programs available at current from JM Bullion.

A Brief Look at Scottsdale Mint

The Scottsdale Mint is a US-based company located in the city of Scottsdale, Arizona. The company manufactures gold and silver bullion products, including coins, rounds, and bars. It does not produce coins for the United States, as that is the exclusive domain of the United States Mint, but it does strike coins for foreign governments.

Scottsdale Mint is an ISO 9001-2008 certified company, and many of its hallmarked products are available for use in Precious Metal IRA accounts. Most importantly in the modern era, Scottsdale Mint is committed to environmentally responsible sourcing of its bullion. In particular, a portion of its silver bullion is sourced as recycled material from the photographic and manufacturing industries.

Scottsdale Mint Foreign Reserve Coins

Although the Scottsdale Mint is not permitted to strike legal tender US coins, it does have working relationships with foreign reserve banks to strike legal tender gold and silver coins for those countries. At this point, the two primary programs available in this domain represent the Republic of Congo and Fiji.

Both coin programs are limited to silver production, and launched in 2015. Each silver coin series is slated for annual production, but details on the continued use of design imagery remains unknown. Unlike many popular programs from other sovereign mints, these silver coins have strictly limited mintages.

The 2015 Congo Silver Silverback Gorilla coin debuted in 2015 as a silver coin representative of the Republic of Congo. Each coin in the series shared common features including:

• 1 Troy oz of .999 pure silver.
• Face value of 5,000 Francs (CFA).
• Limited mintage of just 50,000 coins.
• Obverse depicts an aggressive, male mountain gorilla.
• Reverse features the national crest of the Republic of Congo.
• Coins ship in protective plastic capsules (individual) or sealed sheets of 5.

On the obverse of the Congo Silverback Gorilla coin is the image of an imposing and aggressive male silverback gorilla. The species lives in family groups often referred to as troops, with the alpha male determining where the family sleeps, forages, and when it moves. Engravings include “Congo Silverback Gorilla,” and the coin’s year of issue, weight, purity, and metal content.

The reverse of the 2015 1 oz Congo Silver Silverback Gorilla coin features the crest of the Republic of Congo in the center, which includes a shield depicting two elephants (one either side) and a lion on the shield itself. Engravings include the coin’s face value in Francs and the name of the nation in French.

Following the release of the Congo coin, the Scottsdale Mint debuted a second major sovereign coin series, the 2015 1 oz Fiji Silver Iguana Coin. Much like the Congo Silverback Gorilla, the series is planned for annual release. Coins in this program include the following features:

• 1 Troy oz of .999 pure silver.
• Face value of One Dollar that is legal tender in Fiji.
• Limited mintage of 75,000 coins.
• Obverse features the image of a Fijian banded iguana.
• Reverse includes the crest of Fiji.
• Coins ship in individual Certi-Lock packaging, or a Scottsdale Box for multiples of 25.

On the obverse of the 2015 1 oz Fiji Silver Iguana Coin is the image of a banded iguana, an endemic species found on several southeastern Fijian islands. Its native habitats are being destroy by deforestation in Fiji and its survival is further threatened by the introduction of non-native predators.

The reverse of the coins features the crest of Fiji, which pays homage to the nation’s seafaring history, and a culture and society that has depended upon the seas for centuries. The introduction of Certi-Lock technology brought tamper-evident material and an encrypted barcode to the packaging of Scottsdale Mint coins. A Certi-Lock phone app for iOS and Android enables users to scan the synthetic DNA in the QR code to verify each product.

Scottsdale Mint Silver Rounds

The Scottsdale Mint debuted a one-of-a-kind silver round series in 2016 that features the mint’s own brand logo and ingenuity. The Scottsdale Silver Stacker Round is an immensely popular and versatile round program that has been turning heads already in the numismatic world. Features of the series include:

• Three available weights: 100 Grams, 2 Troy oz, and 5 Troy oz.
• Each contains .999 pure silver.
• Obverse of all features a 3D design of the Scottsdale Mint lion’s head logo.
• Reverse bears the same design, but with a concave striking.
• Stackable rounds share the same dimensions, with the exception of thickness.

It’s hard to imagine a silver round that really stands out in the crowded industry, but the Scottsdale Mint Silver Stacker Round does just that. As mentioned above, although there are three different weights, all three coins share the same dimensions. This is important because it means that you could purchase one of each weight and still stack them together.

The only difference in the dimensions of the rounds is the thickness, with the 5 oz. round offering the greatest depth. The contrasting convex obverse design and concave reverse design of the mint’s lion-head logo allows the rounds to easily stack within each other as the obverse lion head of one round fits within the reverse lion head of another. Additionally, the rounds have interlocking radial lines that allow you to safely stack the rounds together with firm grip.

On the obverse of each is the 3D lion-head design, along with visible radial lines that form the interlocking bond when stacked. The reverse of each Scottsdale Mint Silver Stacker Round features the concave design of the lion head, with engravings that identify the mint, weight, purity, and metal content of each round, as well as the “Stacker Round” series name.

Scottsdale Mint Silver Bars

Last but not least, the Scottsdale Mint produces a wide variety of silver bars. Among those available from JM Bullion is the Silver Nugget series of silver bars. Available currently from JM Bullion in three different weights, the series features:

• Metal content of .999 pure silver.
• Available weights of 1 Kilo, 10 oz, and 5 oz.
• Special Tombstone, Arizona engravings.
• Dimpled finish for an authentic “silver nugget” look and feel.
• Iconic shipping in canvas bags or Scottsdale Mint wooden crates.

The Scottsdale Mint Silver Nugget Bar pays homage to the ultimate American boomtown: Tombstone, Arizona. Tombstone was founded in the 1870s, and enjoyed its heyday from 1877 to 1890 when the nearby silver mines resulted in the extraction of as much as $2 billion (current) worth of silver bullion.

Each bar features obverse and reverse engravings highlighting Tombstone, Arizona, and identifying the bar’s weight, purity, and metal content. Additionally, when you purchase an individual bar it ships in a canvas pouch similar to that one might have used in the 19^th century when transporting silver bullion bars. For larger orders, your bars arrive in iconic wooden crates.

Purchasing Scottsdale Mint Products from JM Bullion

If you find a Scottsdale Mint product you simply cannot live without, JM Bullion makes it easy to complete the purchase of a new silver round, coin, or bar for your portfolio. You can pay for your purchases using credit/debit cards, paper checks, bank wire transfers, or Pay Pal fund transfers.

Credit and debit card purchases (AMEX no longer accepted) clear processing within one business day on average. Bank wire and Pay Pal fund transfers generally clear immediately, while paper checks take 4 to 6 business days. Once your payment has been processed, your products are released to the shipping queue for fulfillment.

Your Scottsdale Mint products are boxed in discreet packaging and delivered directly to your door by the US Postal Service or UPS. JM Bullion is proud to offer free standard shipping and insurance for your purchase over $499. If anything happens to your products during shipping, we’ll work to correct the issue, provide replacement products, or secure a refund of your purchase price.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out to JM Bullion. Our associates are available on the phone at 800-276-6508, online using our live web chat, and via our email address.