Degussa's origins trace to 1843, when Friedrich Ernst Roessler was authorized by the Senate of Frankfurt to operate the city mint's refinery as his own enterprise; the company was formally incorporated in 1873 as Deutsche Gold- und Silber-Scheideanstalt (German Gold and Silver Refinery). Degussa earned LBMA accreditation in 1930 and manufactured gold bars for over 150 years, operating refineries in Frankfurt until 1975 and later in Hanau and Pforzheim, alongside LBMA-accredited subsidiaries in the Netherlands, Brazil, Singapore, and Canada. The Umicore Group acquired Degussa's precious metals unit in 2003, continuing to issue Degussa-branded bars until the end of 2005, when production switched fully to the Umicore stamp.
Like Credit Suisse, Degussa is now a discontinued retail bar brand, but its underlying manufacturing legacy lives on inside Umicore, which absorbed Degussa's precious metals operation in 2003 and continued producing under the Degussa name for two more years before retiring it. A buyer encountering a Degussa-stamped bar today is holding either a genuine vintage piece from before 2005, which carries real historical and collector interest given the brand's 150-plus-year manufacturing run, or needs to verify it carefully given the brand's discontinued status.
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Start tracking freeNo — Umicore acquired Degussa's precious metals unit in 2003 and retired the Degussa-branded bar at the end of 2005, switching production fully to the Umicore stamp.
Over 150 years — Degussa's refining operations trace back to 1843, with formal incorporation in 1873 and LBMA accreditation from 1930, making it one of the longest continuous gold bar manufacturing histories on this list.
It can carry real historical and collector interest given the brand's long manufacturing legacy, though as with any discontinued brand, buy from an established dealer and verify authenticity carefully given the fixed, closed supply.