100g Metalor Silver Bar

A Swiss-Refined 100g Silver Bar

The 100g Metalor silver bar is produced by one of Switzerland's oldest and most established precious metals refineries. Metalor Technologies traces its origins to 1852 in Le Locle, in the heart of the Swiss watchmaking region, and earned its place on the London Good Delivery List in 1934, making it the first Swiss refinery to achieve that distinction. The bar is refined to 999 fine silver (99.9% purity), meeting the LBMA Good Delivery minimum and qualifying for GST/IPM exemptions in Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore.

At 100 grams (3.215 troy ounces), this bar occupies a practical middle ground in the 100g silver bar market. It is large enough to benefit from meaningfully lower premiums than 1oz bars, yet small enough that it does not demand the kind of capital commitment required by 100oz silver bars. The metric weight makes the 100g format particularly popular with European buyers, where gram-denominated bullion is the standard.

Metalor operates five refineries worldwide, all of which hold LBMA Good Delivery accreditation: the original Swiss facility, plus operations in Massachusetts (USA), Hong Kong, Singapore, and China. The company was acquired by Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo, Japan's largest precious metals group, in 2016. Combined refining capacity reaches approximately 800 tonnes of gold and 400 tonnes of silver per year. This industrial scale, alongside accreditations from COMEX and the Shanghai Gold Exchange, makes Metalor one of the most broadly recognised refinery brands in the global bullion market.

For buyers comparing Swiss refinery bars at this weight, the Metalor 100g sits alongside the 100g PAMP Suisse and 100g Valcambi silver bars. Metalor bars tend to trade at competitive premiums, generally in line with Valcambi and slightly below PAMP, reflecting the brand hierarchy within the Swiss refining quartet.

Metalor 100g Silver Bar Specifications

Each bar carries the Metalor hallmark stamp, weight, and purity markings. The 100g silver bar is produced as a cast bar with an individual certificate of authenticity. Metalor's cast bars have a characteristic hand-poured appearance, with each piece showing slight surface variations that distinguish it from machine-stamped minted bars.

Metalor has introduced BullionProtect technology on select products, a high-security ink developed with SICPA (a Swiss security ink company) that provides a smartphone-scannable QR code applied directly to the bar surface. The ink adds less than 20mg of weight and burns cleanly upon melting. Availability of BullionProtect on the 100g silver format may vary by production facility and batch.

Tax Treatment for the Metalor 100g Silver Bar

Silver bars are taxed differently from gold in most jurisdictions. The 100g Metalor bar, at .999 purity, meets the investment-grade thresholds required for tax exemption in several countries, but silver's tax treatment is less favourable than gold's in many markets.

United Kingdom

Silver bars are subject to 20% VAT on purchase in the UK. There is no VAT exemption for silver bullion, regardless of purity or refiner accreditation. This applies equally to Metalor, PAMP, Valcambi, and all other refinery bars. On disposal, silver bars are subject to Capital Gains Tax at the individual's rate (currently 18% or 24%), with an annual allowance of £3,000. Unlike UK legal tender coins such as the 1oz Silver Britannia, silver bars receive no CGT exemption.

United States

No federal sales tax applies. State-level treatment varies, with approximately 35 states exempting investment-grade silver bullion. Capital gains on silver are taxed at the collectibles rate of up to 28% for long-term holdings (over one year). Metalor bars at .999 purity from an LBMA-accredited refinery generally meet IRA fineness requirements, though eligibility depends on the specific custodian.

Canada

Investment silver at 99.9% purity or above is exempt from GST/HST under the Excise Tax Act. The Metalor 100g bar qualifies at .999 fine. Capital gains are subject to a 50% inclusion rate.

Australia

Silver bars at 99.9% purity or above are GST-free when in a form commonly traded on commodity markets. The Metalor 100g bar meets this threshold. Capital gains apply on disposal, with a 50% discount for holdings over 12 months.

New Zealand

Fine silver at 99.9% purity is GST-exempt. No formal capital gains tax applies in New Zealand, though the IRD may treat profits as income if the purchase was made with intent to resell.

Singapore

Silver bars at 99.9% purity from LBMA-accredited refiners qualify as Investment Precious Metals (IPM), exempt from the 9% GST. No capital gains tax applies.

Hong Kong

No VAT, GST, import duty, or capital gains tax on silver bullion of any form.

South Africa

Silver bullion is subject to 15% VAT. Unlike gold Krugerrands, silver products receive no zero-rating exemption. Capital gains are assessable at a 40% inclusion rate for individuals.

European Union

Silver bars are subject to VAT at national rates (17% to 27% depending on country). Investment gold is VAT-exempt under EU Directive 98/80/EC, but this exemption does not extend to silver. Some EU countries offer a margin scheme for pre-owned silver, but new bars from refineries typically attract the full VAT rate. Germany applies a 19% rate with margin scheme (Differenzbesteuerung) available for pre-owned silver; the Netherlands charges 21% with margin scheme on pre-owned coins.

Metalor 100g vs Other Swiss Refinery Silver Bars

The 100g silver bar market is dominated by the four major Swiss refineries: Metalor, PAMP Suisse, Valcambi, and Argor-Heraeus. All four hold LBMA Good Delivery accreditation, all produce bars at .999 purity, and all are globally recognised by bullion dealers. The practical differences come down to brand premium, security features, and resale liquidity.

Metalor bars use a functional, unadorned design focused on the hallmark, weight, purity, and serial number. This contrasts with the 100g PAMP Rosa, which features a decorative rose motif, and the 100g PAMP Lunar, which carries annual Chinese zodiac designs. PAMP's artistic bars typically command a higher premium, reflecting brand positioning and collector interest rather than differences in metal content.

Metalor's BullionProtect security technology competes with PAMP's Veriscan authentication system. Both use smartphone-scannable verification, but they work differently: Veriscan maps the microscopic surface topography of each bar, while BullionProtect applies a high-security ink with a unique QR code. Valcambi bars rely on serialisation and packaging integrity without a comparable digital verification system.

The 100g Valcambi silver bar is the closest competitor on price. Valcambi is the world's largest precious metals refinery by capacity and tends to have the lowest acquisition premiums among the Swiss refiners. Metalor typically trades at a similar level, with both sitting below PAMP in the brand premium hierarchy. For buyers focused purely on acquiring silver weight at the lowest cost, the choice between Metalor and Valcambi often comes down to dealer availability and whatever is cheapest on the day.

The 100g Umicore silver bar offers a European alternative from Belgium's LBMA-accredited refinery. Umicore bars are more commonly encountered through European dealers. In terms of recognition and resale in North American and Asian markets, the Swiss refineries maintain an edge.