Colorado has a rich history of mining and many silver ingots have come out of this state previously. One of the more well known vintage bars comes from Golden Analytical & Refining Company — GA — out of Golden, Colorado. I’m a big fan of these and have been collecting them for years. I have sold off some of my GA’s but still have some really great examples to share.
Here’s something a lot of collectors don’t know: Golden Analytical didn’t just pour under their own name. They were a contract pourer and made bars for a bunch of different refiners under those companies’ names too — Brown Materials is one of them. Their own bars are easy to spot though. The hallmark is a capital G and A in an outlined style, and it comes in a small and large version depending on the bar.
They came in 1, 5, 10 and 25 oz sizes plus some odd weights, with multiple varieties. Most of their bars date from the 70s through the 90s.
The 5 oz class, however, are my favorites and I’ve been hoarding them for awhile. Type 1 is the skinny long pour style and type 2 is shorter and chubbier. You’ll see serial numbers with letter prefixes on these — QB, KB, LB and the like. No-serial examples are out there too, and the early ones are especially tough to find.
Here are a few from Brian R’s collection. Thanks for sharing!
I know the history of aurum refining.
please, do tell
I have 4 sets in original packaging and are sequential GA 10 oz poured bars. Any idea what the set could be worth.
Tracy, If you are interested in selling could you email me
I appreciate the note. GA 10 oz bars are fairly common vintage bars and premiums are reasonable. The sequential nature adds more value, however. There are some GA collectors out there. I think 4 sequential bars in original packaging might command up to $275/ bar. I’m not a buyer of these, but appreciate the note.
How much is a GA 10 oz marked D3038 worth? How can I find the history of it?
That seems to be the later run of the 10 oz class. These go for around 350 or so in today’s market.
what about a 10 oz bar with no serial number?