PAMP Lunar Gold

Swiss Precision Meets Chinese Zodiac

The PAMP Lunar series combines LBMA-accredited Swiss gold refining with the twelve-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac, producing collectible minted bars that serve both as investment bullion and culturally resonant gifts. Produced by PAMP Suisse (Produits Artistiques Metaux Precieux) in Ticino, Switzerland, these .9999 fine gold bars carry annually changing zodiac animal designs that distinguish them from PAMP's fixed-design Fortuna bars.

Two distinct series carry the Lunar name. The Lunar Calendar Series (2012-2023) completed a full zodiac cycle from Dragon to Rabbit, with each year's release depicting the corresponding animal. The Lunar Legend Series (2024 onwards) began a new twelve-year cycle with a creative shift: instead of simply depicting zodiac animals, it illustrates the mythological stories behind each one. The 2024 Azure Dragon, 2025 White Snake, and 2026 Horse draw from Chinese folklore and mythology, adding narrative depth that distinguishes the second cycle from the first.

Gold Lunar bars are available from 1g to 100g, with the 5g size occupying a particular niche. The 5g gold bar is small enough for an affordable gold gift, large enough to feel substantial, and culturally meaningful for Chinese New Year, making it one of PAMP's most popular formats for the Lunar line. A complete twelve-bar Lunar Calendar set in 5g gold is sold as a boxed collector item and commands a premium above the sum of individual bars.

All PAMP Lunar bars come sealed in the distinctive red CertiPAMP tamper-evident assay packaging, individually serialised, and (from 2017 onwards) enrolled in PAMP's VeriScan authentication system. The VeriScan smartphone app scans the bar's microscopic surface topography through sealed packaging to confirm authenticity against PAMP's encrypted database. This LBMA-accredited technology was developed partly in response to documented counterfeiting of PAMP bars in the secondary market.

PAMP Lunar Gold Bar Specifications

Every bar carries a unique serial number and is sealed in CertiPAMP assay packaging displaying weight, purity, metal content, serial number, and certified assayer's signature. The red colour of the Lunar CertiPAMP card distinguishes it from the standard Fortuna packaging.

The obverse features the zodiac animal design (Calendar Series) or mythological scene (Legend Series). The reverse carries PAMP's standard elements: logo, weight, purity, serial number, and assayer's mark.

Security

Bars produced from 2017 carry VeriScan technology, PAMP's patented surface-topography authentication system. Each bar's microscopic surface features are mapped at the production line and stored in PAMP's database. Verification uses an iOS smartphone app or Canon CanoScan 9000F scanner, and works through sealed packaging. VeriScan achieved LBMA Security Feature accreditation, the gold industry's highest authentication standard. Pre-2017 bars lack VeriScan but retain serial number and CertiPAMP verification.

PAMP Lunar Bar Tax Treatment

PAMP Lunar bars are refined gold bars without legal tender status. Tax treatment follows the standard rules for gold bars in each jurisdiction, with no special exemptions related to the zodiac design or collectible character.

United Kingdom

Gold PAMP Lunar bars are VAT-exempt as investment gold (.9999 fine, from an LBMA-accredited refiner, well above the .995 threshold). On disposal, all PAMP bars are subject to Capital Gains Tax because they are not UK legal tender. This is the key disadvantage compared to Gold Britannias, which are CGT-exempt. UK buyers seeking zodiac-themed gold with CGT exemption should consider the Royal Mint's Lunar Year coins, which carry sterling face values and UK legal tender status. Silver and platinum Lunar bars attract 20% VAT.

United States

IRA-eligible. As .9999 fine gold from an LBMA-accredited refiner, PAMP Lunar bars exceed the IRS .995 minimum for self-directed precious metals IRAs. Must be held by an approved custodian. Outside retirement accounts, gains are taxed as collectibles at up to 28% federal. State sales tax varies; many states exempt investment precious metals.

European Union

VAT-exempt as investment gold under the Investment Gold Directive (gold bars at .999+ purity). Silver and platinum bars are subject to standard VAT rates (19-27% depending on member state). Germany offers margin scheme taxation on certain imported silver.

Switzerland

Investment gold is VAT-exempt. PAMP bars can be purchased through GOLDAVENUE (PAMP's own retail platform) with Swiss vault storage options, combining tax efficiency with Swiss custodial security.

Other Jurisdictions

Canada: GST/HST exempt on investment gold. Australia: GST-free at 99.5%+ purity. Singapore: GST-exempt under the Investment Precious Metals scheme for gold bars at 99.5%+ purity from LBMA-accredited refiners, with no capital gains tax. Hong Kong: no VAT, GST, or capital gains tax on precious metals, and the Lunar theme has particular cultural resonance in the Hong Kong and broader Chinese market.

Two Zodiac Cycles from PAMP Suisse

PAMP Suisse, founded in 1977, established the concept of artistic minted bars with its Lady Fortuna design in 1979. The Lunar series extends this tradition, treating gold bars as a medium for culturally significant artwork rather than plain metal ingots.

The Lunar Calendar Series ran from 2012 to 2023, completing all twelve Chinese zodiac animals:

The design approach evolved across the cycle. Early releases (2012-2014, 2016) featured single animals from front and back views. The 2015, 2018, and 2019 releases introduced adult-and-young pairings. The 2017 Rooster brought a distinctive cliff-edge perspective that broke from the series' established visual language.

The Lunar Legend Series (2024 onwards) represents a creative reboot. Rather than repeating the Calendar Series approach with new angles on the same twelve animals, PAMP shifted to mythological storytelling. The 2024 Azure Dragon draws on the creature's role as guardian of the east, associated with spring and rain. The 2025 White Snake depicts the tale of Bai Suzhen, a story of wisdom, transformation, and prosperity. This narrative approach gives each release cultural depth that extends beyond the zodiac symbol itself, and likely reflects PAMP's desire to justify collector premiums through content that differentiates the second cycle from the first.

PAMP Lunar vs Other Zodiac Gold Products

The Perth Mint Lunar Series is the longest-running zodiac bullion program, with three generations: Series I (1996-2007), Series II (2008-2019), and Series III (2020-2031). Perth Mint products are legal tender coins denominated in Australian dollars, not bars. This legal tender status provides CGT advantages in some jurisdictions that PAMP bars cannot match. Perth Mint coins are .9999 gold, matching PAMP's purity. Premiums per gram on Perth Mint coins are typically higher than on PAMP bars of equivalent weight, reflecting the coin format's manufacturing cost and the Perth Mint's own brand premium.

The Royal Mint Lunar Year Series produces UK legal tender coins, giving them CGT exemption in the UK. For UK-based investors wanting zodiac-themed gold with tax efficiency, the Royal Mint Lunar coins are structurally superior to PAMP Lunar bars, which are CGT-liable. PAMP Lunar bars offer a wider weight range (down to 1g gold) and the VeriScan authentication system that Royal Mint coins lack.

Against non-lunar PAMP Fortuna bars, the Lunar series carries a collectible premium above the standard Fortuna. For pure investment purposes where design is irrelevant, the Fortuna offers lower premiums per gram with the same Swiss origin, .9999 purity, and VeriScan technology. The Lunar premium is the cost of the annual zodiac design and its associated collector and gifting appeal.

The Argor-Heraeus Lunar bars, from another major Swiss LBMA-accredited refinery, are a direct competitor within the Swiss bar market. Both are .9999 gold. PAMP's VeriScan technology provides an authentication advantage that Argor-Heraeus does not match on its Lunar-themed products (though the Kinebar line offers Kinegram visual authentication on non-themed bars). PAMP's CertiPAMP red assay card is more widely recognised in international markets than Argor-Heraeus's packaging.

The core positioning of the PAMP Lunar series is at the intersection of investment bullion and culturally themed collectible. Buyers who want the lowest cost per gram of gold will find better value in standard PAMP Fortuna or Valcambi bars. Buyers who want legal tender status and potential tax benefits will prefer Perth Mint or Royal Mint coins. The PAMP Lunar occupies the middle ground: Swiss-refined investment gold with annual zodiac designs, VeriScan authentication, and particular appeal for Chinese New Year gifting, especially in the 5g format.