100g Scottsdale Mint Lunar Silver Bar

Scottsdale Mint's Lunar Bar: Chinese Zodiac in a Metric Silver Format

The 100g Scottsdale Lunar silver bar combines Scottsdale Mint's Arizona manufacturing quality with the Chinese zodiac theme that runs through their broader Scottsdale Lunar series. Each annual release features a different zodiac animal from the twelve-year cycle, adding a collectible dimension to what is fundamentally an investment-weight bar. The series began in 2017 with the Year of the Rooster and follows the standard Chinese calendar sequence through each subsequent animal.

At 100 grams of .999 fine silver, this bar occupies the metric weight class alongside established competitors from PAMP Suisse, Valcambi, and Nadir Refinery. The difference is the annual design change: where most 100g bars carry the same static refiner hallmark indefinitely, the Scottsdale Lunar bar refreshes each year with a new zodiac animal design. This annual rotation creates a mild collectible premium on past years, though the bar remains fundamentally a bullion product priced primarily on its silver content.

Scottsdale Mint produces these bars at their ISO 9001:2015 certified facility in Scottsdale, Arizona, using CNC minting equipment. The mint was founded in 2008 by Josh Phair and has built a distinctive identity in the private-mint space. Unlike the Scottsdale Lunar coins (which carry Samoan legal tender status with face values of 1, 2, or 5 Tala), the bar format has no face value or legal tender designation in any country.

100g Scottsdale Lunar Silver Bar Specifications

The bar's obverse features the year's zodiac animal as a full-face design, consistent with the artwork used across the Scottsdale Lunar programme. Each annual design is unique: the 2024 Dragon, for example, depicts the creature across the bar's entirety with the traditional Chinese character incorporated. The reverse carries the Scottsdale Mint hallmark, weight, and purity declarations in their standard institutional format.

Each year's design change means that older vintages are permanently out of production once the year ends, creating fixed supply for each annual release. The zodiac cycle runs: Rooster (2017), Dog (2018), Pig (2019), Rat (2020), Ox (2021), Tiger (2022), Rabbit (2023), Dragon (2024), Snake (2025), Horse (2026). The .999 purity matches standard silver bullion products and qualifies for investment-grade tax treatment in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore.

Tax Position for the 100g Scottsdale Lunar Silver Bar

This bar has no legal tender status in any jurisdiction. Despite sharing a series name with the Scottsdale Lunar coins (which are Samoan legal tender), the bar format receives standard silver bullion bar tax treatment everywhere. The collectible annual design does not alter the tax classification.

• United States: The primary market for Scottsdale Mint products. No federal sales tax; state-level treatment varies with approximately 35 states exempting investment bullion from sales tax. IRA-eligible at .999 purity from an ISO-certified manufacturer.
• United Kingdom: 20% VAT on purchase. Not CGT-exempt. Neither the Scottsdale brand nor the annual design provides any UK tax advantage. The bar is treated identically to any other silver bullion bar by HMRC.
• Canada: GST/HST exempt at .999+ purity in bar form. The federal exemption applies to all qualifying precious metals regardless of design theme or manufacturer.
• Australia: GST-free as investment-grade silver meeting the 99.9% purity requirement.
• New Zealand: GST-exempt for fine silver bars at 99.9%+ purity.
• Singapore: Qualifies for GST exemption under the IPM scheme at .999 purity from a recognised manufacturer. Bar format meets the IPM form requirements.
• Hong Kong: No sales tax, no import duty, no capital gains tax.
• South Africa: 15% VAT on all silver bullion. No exemption.
• EU: Standard VAT at national rates (19-27%). No reduced rate for thematic or limited-edition bullion bars.

Scottsdale Lunar Bar vs Standard 100g Silver Bars and Competing Lunar Products

The 100g Scottsdale Lunar bar competes in two markets simultaneously: the collectible lunar-themed bullion space and the straightforward 100g silver bar weight class. Its positioning depends on which lens the buyer applies.

As a 100g silver bar valued purely on metal content, it competes against the standard 100g Scottsdale bar, which carries the lion hallmark without any themed design. The standard bar typically trades at a lower premium since it lacks the annual design element and limited production run. For buyers purely interested in silver weight at the lowest cost, the non-lunar Scottsdale bar or a generic 100g bar from any refiner is more cost-efficient per gram of silver acquired.

As a lunar-themed product, the bar sits alongside PAMP Suisse's lunar offerings at various weights. PAMP's lunar bars combine their Lady Fortuna reverse with zodiac motifs and benefit from LBMA accreditation and broader global dealer recognition. The Scottsdale Lunar bar offers a dedicated full-face animal design rather than the smaller secondary zodiac motif that PAMP uses, and the limited annual mintage is typically lower than PAMP's production volumes.

The collectible premium on past-year Scottsdale Lunar bars remains modest. Earlier years (2017 Rooster, 2018 Dog) may trade slightly above the current year's release due to reduced market availability, but these are not rare numismatic items with exponential appreciation. Buyers should expect to recover close to the prevailing melt value at resale unless selling to another collector specifically building a complete zodiac set.