Baird & Co., founded in 1967 by Tony Baird, is the largest gold refiner in the United Kingdom. The business started by dealing numismatic coins, and over time it expanded to offer jewellery and bullion bars. Based in Hatton Garden, London, Baird & Co. has a refinery in Beckton and an international branch in Singapore.
The business, while young compared to other competitors, has grown dramatically over the last several decades. During the last ten years, Baird & Co. won several business and innovation awards, including the Queen’s Enterprise Award in 2018.
In this article, we will take a close look at Baird & Co., its history, its success, and its bullion.
Baird & Co. History
The founder, Tony Baird, started bartering coins even while he was at school. He became a professional coin dealer in 1967, with the release of the South African Krugerrand, and was the first to trade the coins in the UK.
By the 1970s, a permanent office was established in Stratford, and Tony Baird was known to take frequent trips to Switzerland, collecting thousands of gold coins to sell in his shop.
By 1975, Baird & Co. was involved in market making, buying and selling prices for businesses such as banks and stockbrokers, and became one of the largest trading houses.
Four years later, Baird & Co. started producing metals for the jewellery industry. But in 1982 the UK government applied VAT to gold coins, making the market collapse overnight. Baird & Co. decided to diversify into other markets, one of which was bullion production.
Baird & Co. opened a new branch in Hatton Garden in 1987, still used until this day for over the counter trade of bullion. The company sells a range of bullion at this branch, including gold coins and bars.
In September 2000, Baird & Co. became a member of the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA), adding credibility to its brand and opening opportunities for the company. Since 2000, the company has continued opening in new locations, including an office in Singapore, and has become an official partner of The Royal Mint.
Refining
Baird & Co. has been refining precious metals since 1979, in that time becoming the UK’s largest gold refinery. The company has established a reputation for integrity and professionalism both in the UK and internationally.
Baird & Co.’s refinery works by taking scrap metal and melting it using induction furnaces. All precious metal produced is then rigorously tested for quality through sampling and assaying.
Their gold extraction follows the Miller process in which chlorine is used to create metal chlorides. Next, the gold is treated with Aqua Regia to produce gold with a .9999 purity. Finally, the gold granules are melted together and poured to produce ingots.
A highly innovative company, Baird & Co. has developed a range of processes to boost environmental friendliness, to boost their maximum efficiency, and to boost the overall purity and quality of their precious metal products.
Baird & Co.’s innovation goes much further than just their quality processes: in 2012, Baird & Co. released the world’s first commercial rhodium investment bar, and in 2018 the company worked with Tuvalu to produce the world’s first legal tender rhodium coin, known as a Tuvalu South Sea Dragon. Its 1oz coin has a face value of $100, although the coin costs around $19,000 (Jan ’21).
Precious Metals
Baird & Co. sells a range of precious metals. The company sells coins and bars of gold, silver, platinum, palladium and rhodium.
They sell silver bullion ranging from 100g to 100 troy oz bars; gold bullion from 2.5g minted bars to 1kg minted bars; platinum bars from 1oz to 1kg; and palladium bars from 1oz to 500g. Their rhodium bars, the first in the world to be commercially produced, are available in sizes of 1 and 5 ounces, and they sell 1oz rhodium coins.
We sell a variety of Baird & Co. bullion, from 2.5g minted bars to 1kg cast bars. We also offer velvet pouches to protect your valuable bullion, see here.
Why Baird & Co. is a Good Investment
Baird & Co. has been operating for over 50 years. In that time, the business has grown from a small numismatic dealership to an international precious metals refinery, supplying banks, investors and industries all around the world.
Baird & Co. is a member of the London Bullion Market Association, which regulates all of its members, ensuring every business meets expected quality standards and operational standards.
The company is one of the most innovative precious metals refiners in the world, leading the way with technological advances, continually improving quality. Baird & Co. was the first refinery to produce commercially made rhodium bars and since went on to produce rhodium coins.
Baird & Co. offer a range of precious metal bars, in all sizes to suit your budget.
Invest in Baird & Co. Bullion
We sell a range of Baird & Co. precious metal bars, 2.5g minted bars to 1kg cast bars. We also offer velvet pouches to protect your bullion. Interested in buying Baird & Co. bullion? Find out more here.
