The golden rule: keep the packaging
A modern minted bar lives in a sealed assay card that states weight, purity, serial number and the assayer's signature. That card is the product's passport: a sealed bar sells back at the best rate, instantly, anywhere. Never open it. The same logic applies to coins — leave them in their capsules and original tubes, and resist the urge to polish: collectors and dealers alike prefer honest, untouched surfaces, and cleaning visibly scratches the metal.
Where to keep it
Three serious options exist. A quality home safe, properly anchored and discreet, offers instant access — pair it with insurance cover that explicitly includes precious metals, and tell no one. A bank safe-deposit box adds professional physical security for a modest annual fee, at the cost of access hours. Professional vault storage — allocated, insured, audited — suits larger holdings, with each bar or coin recorded by serial number and legally yours, not the vault operator's. Many owners split their holdings across two of the three.
How genuine metal proves itself
Gold's physical properties are hard to fake all at once. Every bullion product has published specifications — diameter, thickness, weight to a hundredth of a gram — and a counterfeit that matches the weight will be the wrong size, because almost no common metal is as dense as gold. Genuine gold and silver are also not magnetic. Modern products add engineered security: laser-etched micro-marks, serial numbers registered with the refinery, and smartphone-verifiable features on the leading brands' assay cards.
When in doubt, ask a professional
If you have inherited metal, bought privately, or simply want certainty, bring the items to our office: an XRF analysis reads the alloy in seconds without leaving a mark, and you receive an honest answer on the spot. It is the same instrument we use for every buyback — and the assessment commits you to nothing.