U.S. Assay Office

History & provenance

A government-stockpile inscription.

This privately fabricated bar is dated 1981 and explicitly marked as silver formerly stored at the U.S. Assay Office in San Francisco. That inscription ties the piece to the disposal of government strategic-stockpile silver rather than to an ordinary newly refined commercial lot.

Collectors encounter several weights and maker varieties bearing the same stockpile language. Hallmark style, dimensions, and surfaces can differ, so the exact refiner and variety should be confirmed on the physical bar; the historical interest rests in the dated government-silver statement stamped into the metal.

Collector reference only. Dies, finishes, packaging, and production varieties can differ between examples; independently authenticate high-value purchases.