Credit Suisse Gold Bullion Bars
Credit Suisse gold bars - backed by one of the biggest names in international finance
Precious metal investors that only buy gold bars that are issued by the most trusted institutions in the gold market often choose Credit Suisse as their preferred brand. The name Credit Suisse stands for one of the most respected financial institutions in the world, the Credit Suisse Bank of Switzerland. The long history of this financial institution started all the way back on the 5th of July 1856 when it was founded by Alfred Escher, the Managing Director of the Northeastern Railway Company. Gold bars are issued by Credit Suisse since 1979.
Both minted and cast Credit Suisse gold bars are produced by the leading refiner Valcambi Suisse out of 99.99% pure gold. That 24 karat level of purity is the international standard for gold bars of any size. All Credit Suisse gold bullion bars have unique serial numbers that can be verified. Credit Suisse provides further verification of authenticity by encasing most of their precious metal bars in protective plastic with an assay card. The information contained on the assay card is the same as on the front side of the bar. American consumers that are investing in gold for their retirements can of course include Credit Suisse Gold in their Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA's).
Why buy Credit Suisse Bullion?
Credit Suisse issues gold bullion bars in a wide variety of sizes including some unusual sizes like 1 tola. However, not all sizes are commonly available. The sizes listed in the table above are perhaps more commonly found in the catalogs of online gold dealers. Many gold dealers offer a smaller selection of Credit Suisse gold bars than of other producers/issuers. That is perhaps due to the relatively bland design of the bars.
Whereas other refiners of precious metals like PAMP Suisse try to appeal to buyers with the artistic design of some of their bars as well, Credit Suisse gold bullion bars generally don't have special design features. The only exception to this rule are the popular Liberty gold bars that Credit Suisse issues. These bear an image of the American Statue of Liberty on their reverse side. What makes Credit Suisse bullion special is therefore not its design.
The prime reasons that make many investors purchase Credit Suisse bars are price as well as brand respectability. You won't find a more respectable and trusted financial institution in the gold bar market than Credit Suisse. Its long history speaks for itself and it has issued gold bars on the world market since 1979.
Perhaps due to the outsourcing of its entire gold bar production to the refiner Valcambi Suisse (one of the prime refiners in the precious metal industry), Credit Suisse is able to sell its gold bars a bit cheaper than other issuers. That depends on the dealer of course. Generally speaking, Credit Suisse gold bars are available for lower premiums over the spot price of gold compared with other producers/issuers.
Another benefit of buying Credit Suisse gold bullion bars is that their authenticity can easily be verified by checking the bar's unique serial number. At a time when more and more counterfeit gold bars appear on the market, it is important to note that every Credit Suisse gold bar has a unique serial number and is fully backed by the Credit Suisse Bank of Switzerland.
Frontal Design
The front of Credit Suisse bars is stamped on top with the company name CREDIT SUISSE in bold letters within a rectangle with rounded edges. Information about the gold weight and purity appears in the middle part of the bar. For example, on the 1 gram Credit Suisse gold bullion bar the text reads "1 g FINE GOLD 999,9". The official assayer's stamp of the Valcambi Suisse refinery appears near the bottom of the bar. That stamp consists of the French words "CHI ESSAYEUR FONDEUR" inside a rectangular box. Finally, a unique serial number appears all the way at the bottom.
Reverse Design
Some Credit Suisse bullion bars have the same information on the back as on the front. The Liberty bars are an exception as they bear the likeness of the Statue of Liberty on their reverse side. Other gold bars display several small boxes with the CREDIT SUISSE name in a diagonal pattern on the reverse of the bars.
Credit Suisse Silver Bars
All Credit Suisse silver bullion bars are produced out of 99.9% fine silver. The bars are manufactured at the Valcambi Suisse refinery in a wide variety of sizes such as 250 gram, 500 gram, 1 oz, 10 oz and 1 kg. However, Credit Suisse silver bars are quite a bit more difficult to find than silver bars of other producers. They are most commonly found on the secondary market. The design of the silver bars is identical to that of the gold bars and the Credit Suisse logo, assayer's stamp, serial number, purity and weight information appears on the bars in the same way as on the gold bars. A diagonal pattern of multiple boxes with the Credit Suisse logo appears on the reverse side of the bars. Credit Suisse Silver is eligible for inclusion in a Precious Metals IRA.
The Credit Suisse Silver Bar page gives more information about the silver bars that are issued under the Credit Suisse label.
Credit Suisse Platinum Bars
All Credit Suisse platinum bars are fully backed by the Credit Suisse Bank of Switzerland. The bars are minted at the Valcambi Suisse refinery in Switzerland. That can be clearly seen on the front side of the bars which bear Valcambi's official assayer's stamp "CHI ESSAYEUR FONDEUR". The bars are 99.95% pure like all platinum bullion bars and available in the sizes of 1 gram, 2 gram, 5 gram, 1 oz and 10 oz. Tamper-evident packaging encases all bars and an assay card is included in the packaging. The front side of the bars displays the Credit Suisse logo, assayer's stamp, serial number, purity and weight information in the same layout as the gold and silver bars. The reverse of the smaller Credit Suisse platinum bullion bars shows America's Statue of Liberty whereas larger bars display a diagonal pattern of Credit Suisse logos. Precious Metals IRA's are allowed to include the bars.
The Credit Suisse Platinum Bar page gives more information about the platinum bars that Credit Suisse issues and allows you to compare current prices.
Credit Suisse Palladium Bars
Credit Suisse palladium bars are mostly available on the secondary market and harder to find than palladium bars of other producers. The bars are 99.95% pure and available in the sizes of 1 oz and 10 oz. Credit Suisse has the bars produced at the Valcambi Suisse refinery just like all its other precious metal bars. All bars have a unique serial number that appears on the front side of the bar along with the Credit Suisse logo, assayer's stamp as well as purity and weight information. The layout of this information on the front side of the bar is the same as on the gold, silver or platinum bars. The reverse of the bars is either plain or displays the repeating diagonal pattern of Credit Suisse logos. All Credit Suisse palladium bullion bars are eligible to be included in Precious Metals IRA's.
The Credit Suisse Palladium Bar page gives more information about the palladium bars that Credit Suisse issues and allows you to compare current prices.