Engelhard 'Prototype'
A prototype silver ingot can be one of the most fascinating examples someone could aquire. The history typically attached to these kinds of ingots makes them extremely unique. Imagine sitting down in an Engelhard manufacturing facility 35-40 years ago. An engineer is sitting at a table sketching out a drawing of what the die stamp will look like. As well as the calculating the demensions of the bar. Thewe are the VERY initial thoughts that all get taken into consideration before major production. After all the thoughts are on paper they finally roll a small production line of 1, 10, or 20 silver ingots that will be the prototype examples of what is to come. .
That is what I imagine when it comes to prototype silver ingots anyways. Maybe I am a bit dramatic or just obsessed? Anyways, back in the late 1970s and 1980s where there wasn't this crazy technology we have now. Where 3D printers and computers dictate early production strategy.
I want to share a very early prototype Engelhard silver ingot that paved the way for one of the most popular series amongst mainstream collectors. Featured below is a 5th series 10oz Engelhard in 7 digit serial variation..
Believed to be a prototype or limited run for private collectors. This piece was first to eliminate trailing weight stamp zeros and first to detail "troy oz" suffix. This particular example is the lowest known recorded serial number for this series. The deep outline of the punch stamp on the face of this bar is just amazing. I have yet to see any other bar demonstrate such a significant outline. Clearly, you can see the punch stamp included the hallmark and weight. While the serial number was stamped after the fact. The 7 digit serial number is unique to only this variation in the 10oz class. I believe this is a very early production prototype that was followed by the famous 5th Series Engelhard TOZ that is featured below...
The Engelhard 10 toz is a personal favorite of mine. I share that feeling with many other collectors. This was an amazing oppurtunity for me to aquire a prototype example. Of which I am grateful to own. I will certainly enjoy handing this one over to my son one day.
I hope this article helped show a unique side of collecting silver ingots. There are so many interesting factors that come into play when collecting ANYTHING. For someone who is standing on the side line thinking about collecting silver ingots. My articles may help educate you into making early calculated purchases/investments.
Information sources from www.Allengelhard.com
Special thanks to @marynessc for the sharp bar banner!
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Nice bar, if i didn't know better i would say it looked fake. I know you know your shit so i believe you. I would be scared to buy it . It looks hand stamp with big tooling marks.
Ya it's very unique. Hence the prototype. These are registered on allengelhard.com with several known examples. 🤘
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STOPTo support your work, I also upvoted your post!
The information is fascinating, as are the bars.
The information is what keeps me going. History is everything in the entire silver market. 🤘
Those bars are just amazing. And to be able to trace the history back makes them even cooler. I just have a bunch of the boring C5 and C6 series. Thanks for sharing these and all this info.
Dude I seriously need to get a hold of one of those vintage Engelhard bars.....😪
@silverd510 At the end of the day my heart is with rare engelhard. I used to ONLY collect engelhard for years. I've branched out when it started getting a bit repetitive. I learned alot about engelhard during that time though. They are the best! Let me know when the time is right and I'll get you into something nice and well priced. Not the eBay record sale prices.
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STOPThat is some collection @silveringots! I agree that it is awesome. Is the 38 on it the serial number? If so that must have cost a pretty penny and is definitely a good collector piece. While I probably couldn't afford the 10 oz yet, I am going to try to get my hands on a 1 ozer before the year is over :)
@knowledge-seeker That is the serial number. It is one of the earliest serial numbers I have ever seen. I paid good money for it about a year and a half ago. It has since doubled in value. This market is growing so fast! I'd love to be able to help you aquire a cool piece. Let me know when the time is right.🤘
Oh I will for sure hit you up! It looks like you have a lot of really cool pieces.
About how much does a half way decent quality 1oz Engelhard go for in the current market?
It depends what style your looking for? There are a lot of varieties. If your looking for something not common 50$ range. I would suggest a 10oz Engelhard. $220 range.