Bullion

24.65 oz Silver Bar - Great Western Coin & Bullion

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This poured silver bar represents a fascinating era of regional refining from the 1970s. Produced by Great Western Coin & Bullion, which operated out of Modesto, California, the bar is a physical record of West Coast metallurgical history. Because it was manufactured as a poured bar, it carries a rustic, individual character quite different from modern, machine-struck bullion. One of the most intriguing aspects of this piece is its classification as a catch weight bar. Rather than being poured to a standardized, even weight, each bar in this run was unique. After the molten silver cooled, the refiner weighed the individual piece and hand-stamped the final weight and purity directly onto the metal. While this specific bar contains 24.65 troy ounces of 0.999 fine silver, the hand-stamped markings reflect the custom nature of the pouring process. The obverse of the bar features a distinctive circular stamp containing a map of California and Nevada, highlighting the home city of Modesto, California. Surrounding this map are the words "Great Western Coin & Bullion". The reverse of the bar is left entirely blank, showing only the natural cooling ripples and textures from the open-mold casting process.