California Crown Mint (CCM) — 5 Troy Oz .999+ Fine Silver Hand-Poured Bar, Lot #930024

A "Kit-Kat" style hand-poured 5 ozt bar from California Crown Mint, the short-lived San Francisco Bay Area refiner that operated from 1980 to 1983. The obverse carries CCM's signature hallmark: an ornate heraldic crown topped with a fleur-de-lis cross, the script letters M and G flanking the center, and CM stamped inside the crown band itself. The M and G are the initials of CCM's president, Michael Graham — making this hallmark, in effect, a founder's mark.

The reverse is stamped .999+ FINE SILVER, 5 TROY OZ., and LOT 930024.

CCM produced bars in 1, 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 ozt formats during its brief operating window before disappearing during the Great Melt of the early-to-mid 1980s, when soaring spot prices drove an enormous share of privately-poured American silver back into the refining stream. The smaller-format CCM bars — 1, 5, and 10 ozt — survive in greater numbers than the heavier pours, but examples in original hand-poured (not extruded) form with a clean, fully-struck crown hallmark are the ones collectors actively chase.

This bar has been authenticated with the Sigma Metalytics PMV Pro and carries the hand-finished character of a small-shop pour: uneven top surface, rolled edges, and variable hallmark depth that no production line ever reproduced.

Specifications

• Refiner: California Crown Mint (CCM), 1980–1983
• Weight: 5 Troy Ounces
• Purity: .999+ Fine Silver
• Lot Number: 930024
• Hallmark: Crowned MG with central fleur-de-lis cross and inner CM stamp
• Format: Hand-poured "Kit-Kat" style
• Authentication: Sigma Metalytics PMV Pro — pass
• Condition: Vintage, light circulation toning consistent with 40+ years of age