SSB ingots have become in high demand over the last few years. This hallmark comes from Las Vegas, NV. Really great looking bars with the Nevada state hallmark with SSB and a star stamped on the inside. The have side stamping for weight and purity, not unlike Metalrex, another Nevada bar. Big fan of these. They came in 5, 10 and 25 oz class. Here are a few for your viewing.

Patina for days. Gorgeous example.

Strickland Refining has become very sought after by serious collectors over the last several years. Premiums have gone up substantially on these ingots. They are found in 1, 5, 10, 25 and 100 oz size. Strickland Refining, Inc. was founded in 1987 and became Maguire Refining some years later. They still operate out of Minneapolis, Minnesota today. These are fantastic ingots. Here’s a few below for your enjoyment.

Here a few from Brian Rs collection, including a 1 oz pressed bar.

Sandoval was an Arizona jewelry and refining operation, and their 5 and 10 oz ingots are dead ringers for E.D. Marshall Jewelers bars of Scottsdale — collector research concludes E.D. Marshall likely made the Sandoval bars. The 5 oz Sandoval is one of the scarcest small bars out there, right alongside the 5 oz E.D. Marshall, and they command big premiums when they appear.

Another recognized CA hallmark, the SD bars have a great look and have developed a strong collector following as the vintage ingot hobby has grown. The company started in 1979 out of Escondido, CA (not far from San Diego). They primarily produced 5, 10 and 20+ oz bars in different varieties, some with the characteristic picture frame style and some without. Very cool pieces. The company is still in business and can be visited at http://www.sandiegorefining.com.

Being a native of the West Coast, I have always been partial to bars from this region. Star Metals was an old CA refiner from the 70s era. They are one of the more popular, albeit common vintage bars. They used to be found often, but with the increase in new silver bar enthusiasts entering the hobby, they are becoming harder to find. The first gens are high premium and the 5’s are nearly impossible to find. I’m aware of only 3, one of which I own. Sky is the limit on price if you find one of these. The 25s carry premiums, but nothing like the 5, as there are many comps for first gen 25s, but no comps for 5 oz.

One of my all time favorites, Simmons is an iconic hallmark and well known among silver bar enthusiasts. The company operated out of Chicago, Illinois in the 60’s and 70’s. The made many varieties of bars from small 5 and 10 gram bars to 1 oz pressed commercial bars and a slew of beautiful poured bars from 5-14.5 oz class for the most part, but did some larger bars in their later years.

The hallmark changed later with Simmons to be a more industrial looking S. They began using Simmons Refco in their name. Some believe this is short for Simmons Refining Company. According to Allengelhard and I’m quoting them hear, “While one might assume  the “REFCO” designation would represent “Refining Company”, the acronym was in reality derived from Raymond Earl Friedman & Co. in New York, a financial services company specializing in commodities and futures contracts.” I have not seen provenance for either of these designations, but would love to know for sure.