The history of Johnson Matthey goes back into the early 1800s, when Percival Norton Johnson started a gold assaying business in London. In 1851 George Matthey joined the company, at which point the name changed to Johnson & Matthey.
1946 was a huge year for Johnson Matthey, as they won the sole rights to mint all British silver coins of every demonination. Winning the rights to mint all British coins was a unique opportunity; because the design of most coins was about to change at this time, JM had all the power in their hands to leave their mark on UK coins forever.
In the 70s their focus shifted to the production of catalysts in motor vehicles for the purpose of reducing pollution stemming from motor vehicles. That was about the same point in time that JM decided to begin minting silver bars of all sizes.
Today, Johnson Matthey mainly focuses on their work in the catalytics industry, but they continue to produce large quantities of silver bullion as well. Their bars are purchased by people all over the world, but since the company originated in the United Kingdom, the British have a lasting fondness for JM that persists even today.
Products Produced
Johnson Matthey is a well-known name in the bullion industry, and has been for some time now. Their bullion bars can be found in sizes ranging from 1 ounce to 100 ounces, which gives investors a lot of leg-room as to how big or small their investment is going to be. Standard sizes include 1 oz, 10 oz, and 100 oz poured and pressed bars. Below is an example 100 oz Johnson Matthey bar:
Like any other silver bar producer, Johnson Matthey has a fairly simple design for most of their bars, but their are certain varieties that are considered to be special edition and therefore are a bit more valuable or sought after. For example, the Ranchers Exploration edition of JM’s 10 ounce bar will be a bit pricier than a normal 10 ounce bar.
Premiums
The last issue that needs to be addressed as far as Johnson Matthey silver bullion goes is the average premium over the spot value of the silver bar. Investors will be delighted to know that Johnson Matthey carries some of the lowest premiums on their bars, in some cases the price over the spot value of the metal is under $2.
You will be hard-pressed to find another silver bar producer who is able to offer their products at a more inexpensive price. This, coupled with JM’s excellent reputation, makes them an excellent option for silver bar purchases. If interested in acquiring Johnson Matthey bars visit JMBullion.com, who offers both the 1, 10 & 100 oz versions at industry-leading pricing.