1 oz PAMP Suisse Lunar Silver Coin

PAMP Suisse Lunar Legend Silver in Coin Format

The 1 oz PAMP Suisse Lunar silver coin represents the Swiss refinery's Chinese zodiac programme in a struck coin format rather than their more common minted bar. PAMP Suisse, an LBMA-accredited refinery founded in 1977 in Ticino, Switzerland, is best known for their Fortuna bar and Lunar Calendar bar series. The silver coin variant carries the same zodiac animal designs from the Lunar Legend series (launched 2024) in a round format at .999 fine silver.

PAMP operates two zodiac programmes: the original Lunar Calendar Series (2012-2023, now complete) which depicted zodiac animals directly, and the current Lunar Legend Series (2024 onwards) which illustrates the mythological stories behind each animal. The 2024 release features the Azure Dragon, guardian of the east associated with spring and rain in Chinese mythology. The 2025 release depicts the White Snake, drawing on the tale of Bai Suzhen representing wisdom, transformation, and prosperity.

The PAMP name carries significant recognition in the bullion market, particularly in Asian markets where the Chinese zodiac theme has cultural resonance for gift-giving during Chinese New Year. Each piece comes sealed in PAMP's CertiPAMP tamper-evident packaging with a unique serial number. Since 2017, PAMP products include Veriscan anti-counterfeiting technology, which maps the microscopic surface topography of each piece for verification through a smartphone app or scanner.

PAMP Lunar Silver Coin Technical Details

Lunar Legend Series Design Cycle

The CertiPAMP card displays weight, purity, metal content, serial number, and certified assayer signature. Veriscan verification works through the sealed packaging without opening it, using either a Canon CanoScan 9000F Mark II with PAMP's positioning frame or the Veriscan iOS app. This LBMA-accredited authentication system maps surface topography unique to each piece, comparable to a fingerprint.

PAMP Lunar Silver Tax Treatment

PAMP Suisse products do not carry legal tender status. They are refined bullion products from a Swiss LBMA-accredited refinery, which affects their tax treatment compared to government-issued coins.

By Country

• United Kingdom: Subject to 20% VAT as silver bullion. No CGT exemption applies (CGT exemption is reserved for UK legal tender coins such as the Silver Britannia). The margin scheme may apply to pre-owned examples, reducing effective VAT to the dealer's profit margin only.
• United States: No federal sales tax. State exemptions vary; approximately 35 states exempt investment precious metals. The .999 purity meets the IRA eligibility threshold for silver (99.9% minimum under IRS Section 408(m)), though custodian acceptance of PAMP coins specifically should be confirmed. Capital gains taxed at the 28% collectibles rate.
• Switzerland: Silver products subject to the reduced VAT rate of 8.1%. PAMP products can be purchased directly from GOLDAVENUE (PAMP's own retail platform) with Swiss storage options that defer VAT until physical delivery.
• Canada: GST/HST exempt as .999 fine silver in coin form meeting the 99.9% federal purity threshold.
• Australia: GST-free as investment-grade silver at .999 purity.
• Singapore: GST-exempt under the Investment Precious Metals scheme for silver at 99.9% purity. PAMP has strong brand recognition in Singapore's bullion market.
• Hong Kong: No VAT/GST, no import duty, no capital gains tax. Strong PAMP availability through local dealers.
• EU: Silver subject to standard VAT rates (19-27% by member state). Gold PAMP products qualify for the investment gold VAT exemption. Some countries allow margin scheme for pre-owned silver.

PAMP Lunar Coin vs Zodiac-Themed Silver Alternatives

Several mints produce Chinese zodiac silver, each targeting slightly different buyer priorities.

The Perth Mint Lunar series (now in Series III, running 2020-2031) is the longest-established zodiac bullion programme. Perth Mint coins are Australian legal tender with .9999 purity, providing CGT advantages in some jurisdictions that PAMP products cannot match. Perth Mint also offers substantially higher mintages and wider international dealer distribution. For pure investment purposes with maximum liquidity, the Perth Mint Lunar coin is the safer choice.

The Royal Mint Lunar series offers UK legal tender status with corresponding CGT exemption for UK buyers, a significant advantage over PAMP silver which carries both 20% VAT and CGT liability in Britain. UK buyers seeking zodiac silver with tax efficiency should consider the Royal Mint option despite its typically higher premium.

PAMP Lunar bars (the more common format for PAMP's zodiac programme) are available in gold from 1g to 100g. The bar format generally carries lower premiums than the coin format for equivalent weight. Buyers primarily interested in PAMP's zodiac designs at the lowest cost per gram should compare the 1 oz PAMP Lunar silver bar pricing against this coin variant.

The PAMP coin's distinguishing advantage is the combination of Swiss LBMA-accredited provenance, Veriscan authentication technology, and the narrative depth of the Legend series designs. Counterfeiting of PAMP products has been documented in the secondary market, making the Veriscan verification capability a practical security benefit that most competing coins lack.