Identify exactly what you are buying
Record refinery or mint, product form, gross weight, stated fineness, serial number where applicable and condition. Match the invoice description to the delivered item. Clarify whether a quoted weight is gross or fine metal and have the pricing basis explained.
Understand the limits of accreditation
LBMA’s Good Delivery Lists concern refiners accredited for supply to the London market and the relevant wholesale-bar standards. Do not treat a refiner’s listing as independent authentication of the particular retail bar in front of you. Check the relevant refinery identity and product details rather than relying on a vague claim of certification. [1]
Agree verification with an appropriate specialist
Ask a competent independent specialist which methods suit the bar and what their limitations are. Agree who pays for testing, whether packaging must be opened and what happens if results are disputed. LBMA’s physical market guidance distinguishes accurate fineness determination from the limitations of non-destructive screening. Photographs and visual inspection alone should not settle authenticity concerns. [2]
Verify the counterparty and settlement sequence
Establish seller identity, authority to transfer the metal and documentation supporting the transaction. Confirm the payment recipient and agree inspection, acceptance, payment and delivery responsibilities. Be cautious about an arrangement that requires payment before agreed checks can take place.
Prepare the resale record before purchase
Keep invoices, identifiers and verification records with a secure inventory. Ask prospective resale counterparties which products they accept and what retesting or condition deductions may apply. Authentication, custody and exit are connected: a product that is inconvenient to resell can impose costs beyond its initial premium.
Define acceptance before inspection
Document which product details and verification results must be satisfactory, who conducts the assessment and how a disagreement will be resolved. A buyer and seller should not discover after payment that they expected different tests or purity evidence. Have the settlement arrangement reviewed appropriately. Keep verification, physical delivery and payment responsibilities explicit rather than assuming that an introduction allocates them.
Check the documents as a connected record
Compare the invoice, product description, identifiers and any certificate against the actual holding. Explain missing or inconsistent details before proceeding. A certificate does not become decisive simply because it looks formal; ask who issued it, what item it relates to and what verification it records. Preserve a coherent inventory after purchase and update it when products move or are sold.
Sources and scope
Source pages checked on 6 October 2026. Confirm current terms with the provider before acting. Numbered references refer to these sources.
Share your objective and timing to arrange a focused first conversation.
Request a private conversation ↗