B.R. MacKay & Sons, Inc.

B.R. MacKay & Sons are highly collectible old pours that came in many sizes, typically 10 oz class and above. They have the distinguieshed 3 water droplets for a hallmark as seen in the below examples. They have an interesting history to say the least. They were a refiner out of Utah and refined silver from used x-ray slides and other film products. In 1983 the owner was indicted on manslaughter charges after an employee died on the job from cyanide poisoning. At that time there were many refiners operating without strict safety protocols. This incident brought change to the refining industry as it related to safety and compliance.

Top example is a rare skinny bread loaf 10 oz odd weight example with incredible toning, almost a pinkish hue. The bottom bar is a bit more commonly found mold. These bars have become scarce with all the new collectors entering the hobby of the last few years.
Not many out there have the swirl lines like this 9.19 oz example.

Here’s a few more examples to share courtesy of regular contributor Brian R. Thank you again for sharing these.

I really like the 10.40 oz pictured at bottom. It’s one of the better examples I have ever seen.
The color and character on the 10.4 oz (bottom pictured bar) is just fantastic.

Author: Vintage Poured Bars

New blogger with a passion for old poured silver bars. I'm a Bay Area native and self employed. Active buyer of vintage silver poured bars and occasional seller.

24 thoughts on “B.R. MacKay & Sons, Inc.”

      1. OK. Thanks for the reply. It appears that the MacKay bars are worth more as a collectors item as opposed to the silver price. Probably better to hang on to them and see if interest increases. Unless, of course………

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      1. Interesting. I am wondering now if these are more valuable as a collector item than the price of the silver. I don’t really need the money right now, but I would not be opposed to disposing of them if the price was right….

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      2. Dan, there is a collector market for these. Premiums on the lower weight BRM bars are quite high these days. The larger bars don’t carry that level of premium, but still command premiums. I’m in a FB group dedicated to vintage poured bars and pieces like the one’s you are mentioning typically do well on this forum. I’m happy to introduce you to the group if you’d like. I’d also be happy to introduce Don. It’s a pretty serious group of collectors who buy, sell and trade. I know the admin of the group well and it’s a highly ethical group. No tolerance for bad actors there. Happy to help in any way I can.

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      3. Thanks Don for the reply. I appreciate the offer, but I am not interested in becoming immersed inbuy, sell, trade, etc. I merely would like to eventually rid myself of the bars at a reasonable price. If you think that an introduction into that group wouldbe beneficial, I am all for it. Thanks

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      4. Dan , Yes these bars are collectable to the right person . Perhaps $35. over spot . Hope that helps , as I have considered purchasing from ebay recently but a little over-priced as they have to pay fees , etc. Regards , Don Roberts

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      6. Dan , Great summation on bars > If considering selling bars , I will make reasonable and fair offer to you . I would like to see pictures of bars if you can . I can be reached @ 614-778-1982 . Regards , Veteran Don Roberts

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      2. Don- Thanks for your comments- I’m at a show right now- But I may call you this week. I agree with that it is worth $10- to $15 over Spot. I should have and or will upload a picture- if I can figure out how to upload a picture to this site.
        You all have a great night.

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      3. Todd- You can always text pictures of bars as you have my cell # 614-778-1982 . Do not listen to the low-ballers out there, let’s refer to them as naysayers . I have been at this for sometime and these bars are NOT simple generic silver bars ! They all have a story to tell with a pedigree/history that is unique ! Cheers , Veteran and former Captain US Army.

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      2. Sorry , I do not agree with $5-$6 over spot . These bars are rare and not common bullion (Rare) , and are hard to find !! If found would be $10-$15 over spot ! I buy all you have @ $10 over spot !! B.R. MacKay & Sons Utah/ Refiners

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      3. Hey Don, I’m basing this on recent comps. I’m am part of the top Vintage Bar group on Facebook and a 101 oz BR sold recently for $2700 in a deal no deal format. I’m sticking with my $6 over spot, unless the bar is pristine and you get a BR collector that just has to have one. 100 oz bars are much more tied to spot than you may believe. If it’s a 10 oz BR, the premiums will be exponentially higher, because more people collect this weight class. 100 oz is a limited market, but there are collectors for those, too. Just stating my observations of 1,000s of transactions over the last few years. I hope you get top dollar though.

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  2. Good day Gents! I stumbled onto this page via a Google search. I recently was gifted a rare collectible made by B.R. MacKay marketed through Balfour Merchandising. The item is a 4 pound 99.9% sterling silver hand carving of a 1978 25th anniversary Chevrolet Corvette. Only 80 of these we made in 1979 and I have #50. I have all the original paperwork from Balfour Merchandising who did the marketing. I have a signed notarized letter from Balfour as to the authenticity of the item and I have a Jeweler’s appraisal from 1979 valuing the item as very rare and worth $4500 at that time. It is in a case with an engraved name plat. Could any of your suggest where I could go/look to get a ball park value of this item? I have found nothing via search engines. Balfour no longer has any records for this division as they shut it down. Many thanks!

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      2. Todd- You can always text pictures of bars as you have my cell # 614-778-1982 . Do not listen to the low-ballers out there, let’s refer to them as naysayers . I have been at this for sometime and these bars are NOT simple generic silver bars ! They all have a story to tell with a pedigree/history that is unique ! Cheers , Veteran and former Captain US Army.

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  3. Paul , I respect your opinion on larger bars that have been sold . I am one soldier that would have paid much more than $ 2700 / 100 oz class bars . I may be that collector who in fact pay’s more from a collectable standpoint ! Cheers Indeed, Don Roberts

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