Credit Suisse

Credit Suisse

Switzerland is often viewed as the financial and banking capital of the world. It is not surprising then that this nation would be at the forefront of precious metals production and design. Three of its mints in particular stand out in the crowd, providing investors and collectors alike with some of the finest products available today. Among them, Credit Suisse is Switzerland’s oldest operating refinery, having opened as a financial institution in the 1850s to support the financial and investment needs of the growing railroad industry. Today, Credit Suisse produces a variety of silver bars branded with their own logo for use in investing. Many of their heavier bars also have Good Delivery status with the LBMA.

For those with a broad and diverse portfolio of investment products including gold, silver, and platinum bars, Credit Suisse might be a more familiar name. Whether you’re aware of Credit Suisse or not, the following paragraphs will provide you with an overview of the company’s history, its current position, and some of the popular products from the mint carried in the online catalog at Silver.com.

Gold Bars from Credit Suisse

There are two gold bar options available at current from Credit Suisse on Silver.com. One is aimed strictly at investors and that is the Credit Suisse Gold Bar featuring only the refiner’s logo and important weight, content, and purity engravings. Although perfectly suitable for any use, these bars are aimed directly at bullion investors interested more in the metal content and purity of a bar than its design features or other elements.

As such, these bars are available in the popular sizes that attract the largest segment of the investing population. The 1 oz and 10 oz Credit Suisse Gold Bars feature .9999 pure gold, ship in sealed plastic packages with assay cards, and each contain an individual serial number.

On the reverse side of each bar you’ll find a blank field with no engravings or other markings. The obverse side of all Credit Suisse Gold bars includes the Credit Suisse logo, the weight, metal content, and purity of the bar, and the assayer’s mark. Each bar has its own, individual serial number that is reproduced both on the bar and the assay card for easy verification of your product’s authenticity.

The other option is the lineup of Liberty Bars from Credit Suisse. These popular bars are excellent for both investors and collectors as they feature stunning designs of the Statue of Liberty on the obverse face of the bar.

Dedicated on October 28, 1886, the Statue of Liberty is a copper statue that was delivered to the people of the United States on behalf of the people of France as a symbol of the lasting friendship between the two nations more than 100 years after the French lent support to the American Revolution.

Scultped by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi and built by Gustave Eiffel, the statue depicts the robed female figure known formally as Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom who bears a torch in her right hand, and the tabula ansata (tablet of law) in her left. Upon that tablet is engraved the date of the American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. Formally, the statue is known as Liberty Enlightening the World.

Credit Suisse has capitalized on this global icon with a design lineup that features both gold and platinum bars. Each Liberty Gold Bar includes .9999 pure gold content, while the Liberty Platinum Bars in the series feature .9995 pure platinum.

On the obverse of each Liberty Bar from Credit Suisse is the image of Lady Liberty as depicted in the Statue of Liberty. You can only see her from the chest upward in the design, and the word “Liberty” is engraved across the bar. Although not visible in the design, a poem entitled “The New Colossus” is emblazoned on a plaque at Liberty’s feet in New York Harbor that has become synonymous with her image around the globe. The most important lines from this poem are known to thousands of Americans and read by millions more:

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I life my lamp beside the golden door.”

The reverse of all Liberty Bars from Credit Suisse feature simpler engravings. Arranged vertically from the top to the bottom you’ll find the Credit Suisse logo in its familiar, soft-edged rectangle. Below it, the weight, metal content, and purity of the bar. Each bar also has an assayer’s mark from Credit Suisse, along with an individual serial number.

Silver.com offers this bar in a 2 Gram weight as well as a 20 Gram weight featuring .9999 fine gold content.

Platinum Bars from Credit Suisse

The lineup of Liberty Bars from Credit Suisse are also available in platinum, with 1 Gram and 5 Gram weights available featuring .9995 fine platinum content. Platinum is an increasingly popular precious metal whose value has, at times, matched that of gold. However, the rising price of platinum is due more to its demand across a variety of industries. While gold and silver are used primarily in the precious metals marketplace, platinum is used in everything from catalytic converters in cars that prevent toxins from being expelled by the engine, to surgical and medical tools used in healthcare and dental settings.

Full Background on Credit Suisse

Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, Credit Suisse’s refinery operation is part of the larger Credit Suisse Group. The multinational organization is a financial services holding company that operates in four major divisions: Investment Banking, Private Banking, Asset Management, and Shared Services Group, which supports the marketing operations of the other three major divisions.

Credit Suisse has one of the most unique background stories of any mint or refinery in the world. Founded in 1856 by Alfred Escher, Schweirzerische Kreditanstalt (or Swiss Credit Union) was created in order to help fund the development of the national rail system in Switzerland. The group issued loans to help create the Swiss electrical grid also, and even provided funding for the European rail system.

Today, Credit Suisse is one of the most recognizable brands in the global precious metals marketplace. The company has grown to develop a global reach that includes active operations in 50 countries, a total of 48,200 employees, and a presence in more than 150 different countries around the globe. When you view the portfolio of available Credit Suisse products, you’ll find predominantly gold and platinum bars, with two different designs available.

Purchasing Credit Suisse Products on Silver.com

At Silver.com we make it easy for you to purchase the Credit Suisse products you want from our catalog. Silver.com proudly accepts all major credit and debit cards, with no minimum purchase price and a maximum of $5,000. PayPal fund transfers are our latest offering. In addition to a $0 minimum and a $10,000 maximum, PayPal transactions process instantly and enter the shipping queue immediately. Paper check payments have a similar $0 minimum and a $50,000 maximum, and while they take four to six business days to process, you’ll enjoy a 4% savings on your purchase price compared to credit/debit payments and PayPal transfers.

We also accept bank wire transfers. The minimum is higher at $2,500, but the $150,000 maximum makes it easier for you to invest in as much silver as you wish. Bank wire payments process instantly and enter our shipping queues immediately.

All Silver.com shipments are packaged in discreet boxes to protect the identity of your products during shipment. Packages are delivered via the United States Postal Service or UPS, and should they become lost or damaged, Silver.com will work to correct the situation. We can either start an insurance claim on your behalf to secure a refund of your money, or work with the carrier to track down your package.

If you have any questions about Credit Suisse products, payment methods, or shipping options, please feel free to contact a Silver.com associate. Our team members are available on the phone during regular business hours at 888-989-7223, online using our website’s hosted live chat, or by submitting your questions to us in writing via email.