Egyptian Series Silver

Hand-Struck Egyptian Silver from Monarch Precious Metals

Monarch Precious Metals' Egyptian series is a collection of silver rounds and bars featuring ancient Egyptian deities and historical figures, produced with an intentionally artisanal process that makes every single piece unique. Based in Medford, Oregon, Monarch is a family-owned private mint founded in 2008 that started with a small induction melter typically used in jewellery making and hand-stamped individual letters. The company grew from those roots into a full private mint, and the Egyptian series reflects that hands-on heritage.

Every piece in the series is hand-struck and deliberately aligned off-centre, with an antique patina and anti-polish chemical treatment applied to simulate the appearance of ancient artefacts. This is a feature, not a defect; it is explicitly stated on all product listings. No two pieces are identical in alignment or patina distribution, giving the series a character that machine-struck bullion cannot replicate. The bars have intentionally irregular shapes described by the mint as resembling "stone relics chipped right off the side of an Egyptian tomb."

The series spans fractional rounds from 1/10 oz to 1 oz relic bars and larger, all in .999 fine silver. Designs cover Cleopatra, King Tut, Queen Nefertiti, Anubis, Horus, and other Egyptian figures across rounds and irregularly shaped bars. Rounds are shipped in unbleached cotton muslin bags (quantities of 20), adding to the old-world aesthetic. These are not legal tender in any jurisdiction: they carry no face value, no denomination, and no government backing. Their appeal is purely in the artisanal production method, the thematic design, and the silver content.

Egyptian Series Formats and Specifications

Design Subjects

Multiple designs appear across the range, with specific subjects assigned to specific sizes. The rounds use a circular format, while the relic bars have deliberately irregular, organic shapes that vary from piece to piece.

• Cleopatra is the inaugural design, featuring the last Ptolemaic ruler of Egypt.
• King Tut depicts the sarcophagus of Tutankhamun on the obverse, with a pyramid and hieroglyphs on the reverse. Used on the 1/4 oz rounds.
• Queen Nefertiti appears on the 1/10 oz rounds with a portrait of the Egyptian queen.
• Egyptian Mummy / Scarab features on the 1/2 oz round, with an Egyptian mummy in left-profile on one side and a scarab beetle with the Eye of Horus on the other.
• Anubis appears on the 1 oz relic bar, showing Anubis preparing a Pharaoh's mummy, surrounded by hieroglyphs.
• Four Goddesses appear on the 2 oz relic bar, with two goddesses depicted per side.
• Horus, god of healing and protection, features on the 3 oz relic bar.

No published mintage limits have been found for any product in the series. Monarch produces in batches but does not typically declare fixed mintages. No certificates of authenticity, serial numbers, or assay cards are included. Authenticity relies on the ".999+" stamp, Monarch's hallmark, and the distinctive hand-struck production method.

Tax Treatment of Monarch Egyptian Silver

As privately minted silver rounds and bars with no government backing, face value, or legal tender status, the Monarch Egyptian series receives the standard tax treatment for generic silver bullion in all jurisdictions. No special exemptions or classifications apply beyond those available to any .999 fine silver product.

• United States: The primary market for Monarch products. No federal sales tax applies. State-level sales tax treatment varies; most of the approximately 35 states that exempt precious metals from sales tax include .999 purity rounds and bars. Capital gains on disposal are taxed at the collectibles rate of up to 28% for long-term holdings. These products are not IRA-eligible, as precious metals IRA rules require coins from government mints or bars from COMEX-approved refineries. Monarch is a small private mint and does not meet those criteria.
• United Kingdom: Subject to 20% VAT on purchase as non-legal-tender silver. Not commonly available from UK dealers. Not eligible for CGT exemption (only UK legal tender coins like the Silver Britannia qualify).
• Canada: GST/HST exempt for silver bullion at 99.9% purity or above, regardless of legal tender status. The .999 purity qualifies.
• Australia: GST-free at .999 purity in a tradeable form with a manufacturer's mark. The Monarch hallmark should satisfy the manufacturer's mark requirement.
• European Union: Subject to local VAT rates on silver, ranging from 17% to 27%.
• Singapore: The rounds may qualify as Investment Precious Metal (IPM) for GST exemption at .999 purity, provided they meet the 0.5 troy oz minimum weight. The 1/10 oz and 1/4 oz fractional rounds fall below this threshold and would attract 9% GST.
• Hong Kong: No sales tax, no import duty, no capital gains tax.

Monarch Egyptian vs Other Egyptian-Themed and Artisanal Silver

The Monarch Egyptian series occupies the affordable, artisanal end of the Egyptian-themed silver market. Comparing it to alternatives highlights what buyers gain and give up at this price point.

The Egyptian Relic series from Scottsdale Mint, struck for the Republic of Chad, is the most prominent Egyptian-themed silver competitor. The Relic coins carry legal tender status, published mintage limits, and Scottsdale Mint's professional antique finish. Premiums are higher. The Monarch series lacks government backing and has no fixed mintages, but the hand-struck production creates a genuinely one-of-a-kind quality that the machine-struck Relic coins do not offer. For buyers who value institutional credibility and potential IRA eligibility, the Relic series has clear advantages. For buyers who want artisanal character and lower premiums, Monarch delivers.

The Egyptian Gods ultra-high-relief rounds from Elemetal/Provident Metals are another comparison point. Those 2 oz rounds feature dramatically deep three-dimensional relief from the UHR striking process, an artistic quality that Monarch's lower-relief hand strikes do not match. The Egyptian Gods rounds also carry higher premiums and come only in the 2 oz format. Monarch's range of fractional sizes from 1/10 oz to 3 oz provides flexibility that the single-format Egyptian Gods series cannot.

Against generic silver rounds from larger private mints (SilverTowne, Asahi, Sunshine Minting), the Monarch Egyptian pieces carry higher premiums per ounce. The premium reflects the hand-struck production, thematic design, and antiqued finish rather than silver content alone. Buyers focused on accumulating the maximum number of ounces per dollar will find better value in generic rounds or silver bars. Buyers who want their silver holdings to have visual character and thematic coherence pay a modest premium for the Monarch difference.