1g PAMP Suisse Platinum Bar

The 1g PAMP Suisse Platinum Bar

The 1g PAMP Suisse platinum bar is an unbranded (non-Fortuna) bar from the Swiss refinery, containing one gram of 999.5 fine platinum. It carries the PAMP Suisse logo, weight, purity, and serial number markings, sealed in CertiPAMP tamper-evident assay packaging. This bar differs from the 1g Fortuna platinum bar in one respect: the absence of the Lady Fortuna design on the bar's face. The manufacturing standard, purity, accreditation, and packaging are identical.

PAMP Suisse (Produits Artistiques Métaux Précieux), founded in 1977 in Ticino, is an LBMA-accredited refiner and part of the MKS PAMP GROUP. The company's platinum bars are produced at 999.5 fine, matching the universal standard for investment-grade platinum. At 1g, this is the smallest weight available in PAMP's platinum bar range.

The market for this bar overlaps with two adjacent products. Buyers choosing between this and the Fortuna version are deciding whether the Lady Fortuna design and its associated collector appeal justify the extra premium. Buyers comparing this to a 1g Valcambi platinum bar are weighing PAMP's brand recognition and CertiPAMP packaging against Valcambi's typically lower pricing. In practice, the difference in metal content across all three is zero: one gram of 999.5 platinum.

As with all 1g bars, the premium economics are unfavourable for accumulation. Fixed costs per bar (manufacturing, assaying, packaging, dealer margins) represent a large percentage of the total price at this weight. The 1g PAMP bar is best understood as an entry-level product, a gift, or a collection piece rather than a cost-efficient way to build a platinum position.

1g PAMP Suisse Platinum Bar Specifications

The CertiPAMP assay packaging includes microprinting and UV-reactive security elements. The integrated assay certificate states the bar's weight, purity, serial number, and assayer's mark. Keeping the bar sealed in its original packaging is strongly recommended for resale, as an intact assay card commands a better buyback price from dealers and avoids the need for re-assaying.

The 999.5 fineness meets or exceeds all major tax exemption thresholds for platinum: Canada requires 99%, Australia and New Zealand require 99%, and Singapore requires 99% from LBMA-accredited refiners. The UK applies 20% VAT to all platinum regardless of purity.

Tax Treatment of the 1g PAMP Suisse Platinum Bar

This bar follows the same tax rules as all platinum bars: subject to purchase tax in the UK and EU, exempt in several other major markets, and without any legal tender status to provide CGT benefits.

Purchase Tax

• United Kingdom: 20% VAT on all platinum bullion. On a 1g bar where premiums already run 20-40%, the additional VAT cost makes UK-delivered platinum at this weight particularly expensive relative to its metal content.
• United States: No federal sales tax. Most states exempt investment-grade precious metals.
• Canada: GST/HST exempt at 99.5%+ purity.
• Australia: GST-free for investment-grade platinum at 99%+ purity.
• New Zealand: GST-exempt at 99%+ purity. No CGT.
• Singapore: GST-exempt as IPM from LBMA-accredited refiners.
• Hong Kong: No sales tax, no duties, no CGT.
• EU: Standard VAT applies (17-27%). No platinum investment exemption.
• South Africa: 15% VAT.

Capital Gains

• UK: CGT at 18-24%. No legal tender exemption for bars. SIPP-eligible if held by an approved custodian.
• US: Collectible rate, maximum 28% long-term. IRA-eligible at 99.95% purity from LBMA-accredited refiners.
• Canada: 50% inclusion rate for capital gains. RRSP and TFSA eligible.
• Australia: CGT with 50% discount for holdings over 12 months.

1g PAMP Suisse Platinum Bar vs Alternatives

This bar sits between two closely related products. The 1g Fortuna platinum bar from the same manufacturer adds the Lady Fortuna design and VeriScan digital authentication. VeriScan records each bar's microscopic surface topography at manufacture, allowing buyers to verify authenticity via a smartphone app. The Fortuna carries a higher premium reflecting these features and its stronger collector market. For buyers who want the lowest-cost PAMP product, the unbranded version delivers the same metal, purity, and CertiPAMP packaging at a lower price.

The 1g Valcambi platinum bar is the most widely available 1g platinum bar, stocked by more dealers than any other brand at this weight. Valcambi, the world's largest precious metals refinery by volume, produces bars at the same 999.5 fineness with LBMA accreditation. Valcambi bars generally trade at lower premiums than PAMP products. The Valcambi CombiBar format (a perforated sheet of individual 1g segments that can be snapped apart) offers a different approach: the per-gram premium is lower than buying individual 1g bars, and the sheet is compact for storage.

The 1g Credit Suisse platinum bar is another Valcambi-manufactured product with Credit Suisse branding. It trades at a small premium above Valcambi-branded bars but below PAMP. Future production is uncertain following the UBS acquisition.

For buyers considering a larger PAMP product, the 10 oz PAMP Suisse platinum bar delivers dramatically lower percentage premiums (5-10% vs 20-40%). The per-gram savings from stepping up in size are substantial. The 1g bar makes most sense when the low absolute price is the primary consideration, or when the bar is intended as a gift rather than a core investment holding.