This is why you buy bars that stopped being made before any of this junk started. There are several but one that comes to mind is Johnson-Matthey for silver bars it's my only direct experience but there are a couple of others. If investing -- and this IS "Investment Advice" -- then call 2 or 3 of the larger online dealers. It's not hard to reach someone who knows a lot & works with it every day. Ask their opinion. Also talk to the sales and acquisitions dept and ask...Some will pay a premium FOR certain bars of certain makers.
[–] 20364918? 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
2019-08-28 | Smuggled gold bars have been stamped with fake branding and slipped into the global market | Daily Mail Online
"And it still exists, and it still works. 'Fake gold bars - blocks of cheaper metal plated with gold - are relatively common in the gold industry and often easy to detect."
'Gold bars fraudulently stamped with the logos of major refineries are being inserted into the global market, causing a crisis in the industry. '
'Sophisticated criminals have been branding the sub-par gold with the logos of prestigious Swiss refineries in order to give their inferior product legitimacy. '
'Kilobars are the most common form of gold in circulation around the world, passing fluidly between banks, refineries, dealers and individuals. ', "The Shanghai Gold Exchange, which regulates China's gold market, said in a statement it was not aware of counterfeit bars being made in or transported through China. 'The Shanghai Gold Exchange has established a thorough delivery and storage system."
[–] 20367510? 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
With Trump's recent comments re: the corrupt Fed, this story looks like an attempt to cast doubt on a return to the gold standard.