Founded in 1951 in Chiasso under the name Argor, its name is a contraction of the words silver and gold. In 1973, the company was 100% owned by the Union de banques suisses (which later became UBS) In 1988, it relocated to Mendrision and in 1999, it was re-acquired by Heraeus Hanau, Germany). The refinery is owned on a four-way basis by Heraeus Holdings GmbH, Commerzbank International SA, the Austrian Mint, and its Board of Directors.Argor- Heraeus exercises strict controls on the incoming commodity and original certification of the precious metal. Argor-Heraeus is on the list of good suppliers established by the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA); thus it meets high quality standards. Their gold bars may be negotiated without restriction. Argor-Heraeus is also a supplier on most physical gold trading centers, such as LME (London), TOCOM (Tokyo), COMEX/NYMEX (New York), and DMMC (Dubai). All silver bars Argor Heraeus which we sell meet the highest standards of Good Delivery System and employ only certified assayers, trained and supervised by the Swiss Central Office for Precious Metals Control, who guarantee the declared standards of purity. With strong Swiss identity each cast bar is individually numbered and stamped with the weight and .9999 fine Silver purity and visible logo of Argor Heraeus