A popular way of acquiring these precious metals is
through our depository service which enables investors to easily buy bullion
and have it safely stored in the Mint's high-security vaults in Australia,
all covered by a guarantee from
the Government of Western Australia.
Depository accounts include the established Depository Program (PMDP), and the increasingly popular Depository Online (PMDO), a secure online trading platform particularly suitable
for investors who want to be able to react quickly 24 hours a day to the
dynamic precious metals markets.
Bullion purchased through either of these account types
can be stored in a choice of Allocated, Pool Allocated or Unallocated format.
Each type has specific benefits, which are important to understand before
proceeding with your first order.
Allocated
Applicable to gold and silver, Allocated means you
purchase our physical bullion products which we segregate in our
high-security vaulting facilities under your name.
As the outright owner of an Allocated holding, you pay
for the precious metal and also fabrication costs for making it into the
finished product of your choice. Currently, we offer PMDO clients the option
of seven gold bars ranging from 1oz to 400oz, as well as 1 kilo, 100oz and
1,000oz silver bars.
As the custodian of Allocated metal, we charge a fee for
keeping it safe and secure in our vault. However, the advantage of this type
of storage is your metal is readily available for inspection, pick-up or
delivery - an important consideration for some clients.
Pool Allocated
For Pool Allocated storage (silver only) we set aside
numbered 1,000oz silver bars into a segregated pool which backs the amount of
silver we owe to customers choosing this option.
Clients each own a share of this pool of bars, rather
than specific bars as with Allocated. (A list of numbered bars providing
physical backing for Pool Allocated is available here.)
One of the chief benefits of pooling silver bars is that
customers pay reduced fabrication and storage fees. If required, however,
they may pay the balance of the fabrication charge to convert their holdings
into finished bullion products for collection or for storage at the Mint as
Allocated.
Unallocated
Currently available for both gold and platinum,
Unallocated is the most popular option among our depository clients because
there are no ongoing storage fees. Unfortunately, the unique way in which we
operate this option is sometimes misunderstood.
You can think of Unallocated metal as the Mint’s working
inventory. Clients choosing the Unallocated option are therefore buying into
the pool of working metal which we use to facilitate our day-to-day
operations.
The ounces held in each client’s account are completely
unaffected if we use the actual metal backing Unallocated. That’s because the
metal is used on a ‘fungible’ basis – meaning it is immediately replaced in
the inventory by exactly the same amount as we take out. Accordingly, every
Unallocated ounce is 100% backed by physical metal.
This arrangement provides benefits to both parties. The
huge upside for clients is that there are no storage or fabrication fees.
Another benefit is that you can sell as many ounces as you require, rather
than a whole bar as with Allocated.
Once again, you can convert your Unallocated holding to
Allocated products for collection or segregated storage in our vaults
whenever you require.
Trusted worldwide
The Perth Mint has operated its depository service
since the 1990s. We now manage more than $3 billion worth of investors’ metal
on behalf of around 30,000 clients from over 100 countries.
We are subject to rigorous corporate governance and
control, including an annual audit of our operations which is undertaken by a
major accounting firm on behalf of the State Auditor General (see Annual Reports).
In terms of reassurances, however,
nothing provides greater peace of mind to our clients than the fact that we
operate the only government guaranteed precious metal storage program in the world. So when it comes to
keeping your precious metal assets safe and secure, there is no better choice
of services than those offered by the world-renowned Perth Mint.
A global leader in precious metals, The Perth Mint
offers the highest quality gold, silver and platinum products for investors.
