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Investing in Precious Metals: Sovereign Mints vs Private Mints

Investing in Precious Metals - Sovereign Mints vs Private Mints - Royal Bull

Mints make precious metal (bullion) products for circulation, collectors and investors. Whether the metals are crafted into coins, bars, rounds or jewelry, each product is made with impeccable quality, beauty and long-lasting value.

A mint is a producer of bullion products for a wide range of reasons, such as creating currency for countries’ circulation, celebrating commemorative events for collectors or casting bars for investors. 

With dozens of mints in operation around the world, it can be difficult to understand the difference between the two types of mints: those owned by the government and those which are independent. 

Let’s dig deeper into how they are different.

What is a Government Mint?

These are bullion production facilities owned and operated by governments (also called “sovereign mints” or “national mints”) with their primary role to produce bullion products for circulation. Occasionally, private minutes produce government coins, such as the Czech Mint which produces currency of the Czech Republic, but this is quite rare.

Examples of some of the world’s most well-known mints include the Royal Canadian Mint, the Royal Mint, the US Mint, the Perth Mint and the South African Mint. Some government mints also make coinage for other countries which simply do not have the capacity to do so on their own. For example, the New Zealand Mint makes currency for the tiny Pacific nation of Niue

Along with minting products of legal tender, national mints create a wide range of collectable and investment products. In doing so, they help to generate extra income that helps to make them more financially sustainable.

In many cases, government mints such as the Royal Canadian Mint will only sell to a select few suppliers, making it difficult for the general public to access low prices on their products. Fortunately, independent businesses like Royal Bull exist to allow the public to buy their exclusive products at affordable prices.

What is a Private Mint?

The other type of mint is a private mint (also called an independent mint) which is owned and operated by a non-government entity. These mints are not limited to the same rules and regulations as those owned by governments, so are more likely to offer products equal in quality as products made by national mints, while providing a product that may be more difficult to do with government regulations. 

For example, SilverTowne Mint is a popular independent mint that produces bullion products celebrating a wide range of themes, covering everything from St. Patrick’s Day to firefighters. Even hand-poured silver bars are possible from independent products, such as skull-shaped bullion bars produced by the Atlantis Mint. 

Did you know that Royal Bull will launch its own Canada-based mint this year? More information on that coming soon!

All of that being said, as previously mentioned, some private mints also produce government coinage, such as Geiger Edelmetalle Mint Leipzig and PAMP Suisse.

As the popularity of investing and collecting bullion products continues to increase, independent mints may be more suited to create unique products that relate to the general public’s desire to collect and invest. 

Finding Trust in Private Mints and Government Mints 

Whether you decide to purchase from a national mint or a well-known private mint, you are guaranteed to receive a quality bullion product. There are many similarities in quality, style, options and prices. In many cases, the only difference lies in the shape of the bullion and the design on its surface. 

There are thousands of bullion products available, and trusting private and government mints with their ingenuity, perfection and brilliance is the best way forward for collecting, for investing, for the bullion community, forever.

Have questions about investing in precious metals or would like to talk to someone about the different options available? Give us a call at 519-340-1900 or email us at [email protected].