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the Engelhard "bullseye" symbol

an example is here: Link.

What is it? I've seen various discussions saying maybe it has something to do with Canada or a bull. Doubtful.

I think it's an image of tongs holding molten metal -- something like this: Link.
"Men who had never shown any ability to make or increase fortunes for themselves abounded in brilliant plans for creating and increasing wealth for the country at large." Fiat Money Inflation in France, Andrew Dickson White (1912)

Comments

  • OPAOPA Posts: 17,119 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>an example is here: Link.

    What is it? I've seen various discussions saying maybe it has something to do with Canada or a bull. Doubtful.

    I think it's an image of tongs holding molten metal -- something like this: Link. >>



    That symbol indicates that the bar was manufactured in Canada.
    "Bongo drive 1984 Lincoln that looks like old coin dug from ground."
  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 32,115 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Google zodiac symbols. That is the symbol of Taurus, the bull.

    Edited to add: Not doubtful.
    Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
  • secondrepublicsecondrepublic Posts: 2,619 ✭✭✭
    I have a 1982 Engelhard "American Prospector" silver round with the bullseye symbol and it has "USA" written on it. Pretty sure it's not made in Canada. The Engelhard Canada bars I've seen have maple leafs on them.

    I'm familiar with the Taurus symbol, but to my knowledge, it doesn't have anything to do with either Engelhard or precious metals. The most logical explanation for this symbol is that it's tongs holding a crucible of precious metal.
    "Men who had never shown any ability to make or increase fortunes for themselves abounded in brilliant plans for creating and increasing wealth for the country at large." Fiat Money Inflation in France, Andrew Dickson White (1912)
  • fiveNdimefiveNdime Posts: 1,088 ✭✭


    << <i>an example is here: Link.

    What is it? >>


    from the description: the center of the bar shows the Engelhard hallmark with BULL LOGO above the weight.
    BST transactions: guitarwes; glmmcowan; coiny; nibanny; messydesk
  • secondrepublicsecondrepublic Posts: 2,619 ✭✭✭


    << <i>
    from the description: the center of the bar shows the Engelhard hallmark with BULL LOGO above the weight. >>



    I know, I can read too. My question is whether APMEX and others calling it "bull logo" is the correct description. As the posts above show, there doesn't seem to be any agreement on what that symbol actually is referring to.
    "Men who had never shown any ability to make or increase fortunes for themselves abounded in brilliant plans for creating and increasing wealth for the country at large." Fiat Money Inflation in France, Andrew Dickson White (1912)
  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 32,115 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Take a look at this

    linky

    And scroll down to Englehard Australia.

    To see other Englehard bars, click on "Forms of SIlver" at the top of the page, and then "Englehard."

    Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
  • LukeMarshallLukeMarshall Posts: 1,982 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I've read that some believe it is the alchemy symbol for platinum.

    The combination of the sun and moon (gold & silver) is the symbol platinum.


    image

    It's all about what the people want...

  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 32,115 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>I've read that some believe it is the alchemy symbol for platinum.

    The combination of the sun and moon (gold & silver) is the symbol platinum.


    image >>



    Linky
    Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 32,115 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Englehard did begin as a platinum refining company. From Wikipedia:

    Linky
    Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
  • InYHWHWeTrustInYHWHWeTrust Posts: 1,448 ✭✭✭
    Will shoot Mr. E an email and see what he says...
    Do your best to avoid circular arguments, as it will help you reason better, because better reasoning is often a result of avoiding circular arguments.
  • secondrepublicsecondrepublic Posts: 2,619 ✭✭✭
    interesting comments... the plot thickens.
    "Men who had never shown any ability to make or increase fortunes for themselves abounded in brilliant plans for creating and increasing wealth for the country at large." Fiat Money Inflation in France, Andrew Dickson White (1912)
  • OnlyGoldIsMoneyOnlyGoldIsMoney Posts: 3,358 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>I've read that some believe it is the alchemy symbol for platinum.

    The combination of the sun and moon (gold & silver) is the symbol platinum.


    image >>




    I believe Luke has it right.
  • OPAOPA Posts: 17,119 ✭✭✭✭✭
    This same question was rehashed 2 1/2 years ago, and the answer is: MADE IN CANADA

    Old Bull thread
    "Bongo drive 1984 Lincoln that looks like old coin dug from ground."
  • secondrepublicsecondrepublic Posts: 2,619 ✭✭✭
    Edited to add: as I posted on another thread the "bullseye" logo was a US trademark that Engelhard applied for in 1981 - see link here. While that doesn't conclusively mean the bars were made in the US, it certainly means Engelhard was using that mark in the US.
    "Men who had never shown any ability to make or increase fortunes for themselves abounded in brilliant plans for creating and increasing wealth for the country at large." Fiat Money Inflation in France, Andrew Dickson White (1912)
  • OPAOPA Posts: 17,119 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Good grief....let me be more specific and btw most old time Engelhard collectors know this.

    The symbol indicates that this bar was produced from recycled silver as opposed to freshly mined silver ore. During the early 1980′s silver became so valuable that even the big boys looked for more ways to sell more silver. The symbol also indicates that these bars were made in Toronto, Canada.

    I'm tired of repeating myself.
    "Bongo drive 1984 Lincoln that looks like old coin dug from ground."
  • epcjimi1epcjimi1 Posts: 3,489 ✭✭✭
    I'm going with platinum for the significance of the symbol.

    The history of Englehard Corporate History is flush with references to platinum.

    "A Canadian concern, Inco, formerly called International Nickel Company, demonstrated that platinum could be produced as a byproduct of nickel mining, thus temporarily stabilizing the supply of platinum and prompting intensive research into its properties. Charles Engelhard became Inco's exclusive dealer of platinum in the United States, and in the early 1930s created a research-and-development department of his own to pioneer new uses for the metal. In conjunction with Du Pont, Engelhard's Baker & Co. came up with a revolutionary process for the manufacture of nitric acid that employed a platinum and rhodium catalyst. The process was soon adopted throughout the chemicals industry. Engelhard Industries began a long evolution that would first transform the company into the world leader in precious-metals fabricating and later encourage its present focus on catalysis in many of its forms. "

    Link is worth the read IMO.


  • << <i>Good grief....let me be more specific and btw most old time Engelhard collectors know this.

    The symbol indicates that this bar was produced from recycled silver as opposed to freshly mined silver ore. During the early 1980′s silver became so valuable that even the big boys looked for more ways to sell more silver. The symbol also indicates that these bars were made in Toronto, Canada.

    I'm tired of repeating myself. >>



    OPA, I think the queation here is: why did they choose that symbol not why they used it.
    Engelhard could have just used an X.
    The member formerly known as Ciccio / Posts: 1453 / Joined: Apr 2009
  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 32,115 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Good grief....let me be more specific and btw most old time Engelhard collectors know this.

    The symbol indicates that this bar was produced from recycled silver as opposed to freshly mined silver ore. During the early 1980Œs silver became so valuable that even the big boys looked for more ways to sell more silver. The symbol also indicates that these bars were made in Toronto, Canada.

    I'm tired of repeating myself. >>



    I don't think that anybody is questioning that, what the symbol signifies. The question is what the symbol itself actually is, the sign of Taurus the Bull, as most of us believed, or the alchemic symbol for platinum, which Englehard Industries dealt in.
    Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
  • secondrepublicsecondrepublic Posts: 2,619 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Good grief....let me be more specific and btw most old time Engelhard collectors know this.

    The symbol indicates that this bar was produced from recycled silver as opposed to freshly mined silver ore. During the early 1980′s silver became so valuable that even the big boys looked for more ways to sell more silver. The symbol also indicates that these bars were made in Toronto, Canada.

    I'm tired of repeating myself. >>



    I appreciate your insights, but something more than an assertion is necessary. Do you have a link to any objective, factual source for this information? Unfortunately, in coin collecting (and bullion) there's often a lot of "old knowledge" which is just plain incorrect.
    "Men who had never shown any ability to make or increase fortunes for themselves abounded in brilliant plans for creating and increasing wealth for the country at large." Fiat Money Inflation in France, Andrew Dickson White (1912)
  • OnlyGoldIsMoneyOnlyGoldIsMoney Posts: 3,358 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Good grief....let me be more specific and btw most old time Engelhard collectors know this.

    The symbol indicates that this bar was produced from recycled silver as opposed to freshly mined silver ore. During the early 1980Œs silver became so valuable that even the big boys looked for more ways to sell more silver. The symbol also indicates that these bars were made in Toronto, Canada.

    I'm tired of repeating myself. >>




    Are you saying the symbol appeared on all bars produced in Toronto or only those Toronto bars produced from recycled silver?
  • OPAOPA Posts: 17,119 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>Good grief....let me be more specific and btw most old time Engelhard collectors know this.

    The symbol indicates that this bar was produced from recycled silver as opposed to freshly mined silver ore. During the early 1980Œs silver became so valuable that even the big boys looked for more ways to sell more silver. The symbol also indicates that these bars were made in Toronto, Canada.

    I'm tired of repeating myself. >>



    I don't think that anybody is questioning that, what the symbol signifies. The question is what the symbol itself actually is, the sign of Taurus the Bull, as most of us believed, or the alchemic symbol for platinum, which Englehard Industries dealt in. >>



    Sorry about misreading the OP thread. I have no idea where that symbol originated from, but in April of 2010, gecko109 posted this. " Ok, just got off the phone with a metals rep from BASF (new owners of Engelhard). The rep said that he believes the stamp is an alchemists' symbol of some sort, and not the head of a caterpillar, nor the astrological symbol of taurus. I looked up alchemy symbols really quickly on Wiki, and it appears that while there is no exact match, its almost certain that the rep was correct."

    If that is the case...symbol for Platinum would be my guess.
    "Bongo drive 1984 Lincoln that looks like old coin dug from ground."
  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 32,115 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Goodness gracious!
    Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
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