11. Gold bullion 1 kg, purity 996.3, numbered 595782, marked Compagnie de Metaux Precieux, 1975, accompanied by analysis report

Compagnie de Metaux Precieux (CMP) was founded in 1935. Located in the suburbs of Paris, it produced gold and silver bullion until the end of the 1980s. In September 1935, the firm S. Silberfeld & Cie, in partnership with Société de Banque Suisse (SBS), established CMP in Paris. Even before this date, there was a collaboration between SBS, Silberfeld and the London house Mocatta & Goldsmid. The initiative to create CMP belonged to Silberfeld, who wanted to structure this cooperation. SBS held between 40% and 50% of CMP's capital, which allowed it to expand its activities on the French market. From the beginning, CMP was equipped with an electrolytic refining system, which allowed it to compete with already established companies, such as Degussa. At that time, historical actors such as Caplain Saint-André did not have modern infrastructures or export capacities, while other houses, such as Comptoir Lyon-Alemand or Marret, Bonnin, Lebel et Guieu, faced serious management and financing problems. In this context, CMP established itself as the only smelter and refiner with a solid financial base during that crisis period. The Kodak company was supplied by CMP with silver nitrate. In 1984, CMP was taken over by the American company Engelhard, specialized in refining platinum and gold, founded in 1902 by Charles Engelhard, a metal merchant of German origin, who emigrated to the United States in 1891. From that moment, the pure gold ingots produced by CMP were accompanied by an analysis certificate or test, bearing both names: CMP – Engelhard. On December 5, 1989, CMP definitively ceased its gold bullion production. These bars, now rare, have become collector's items.

Description

gold

Research information

The lot is accompanied by an updated expertise, carried out by the numismatic expert Frédéric Deloute.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

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