2015 Elemetal 47 Silver Round

MintElemetal (Dallas, TX)

IssuerElemetal (Dallas, TX)

DistributorElemetal (Dallas, TX)

The obverse features the Elemetal "hourglass" logomark above the "ELEMETAL" wordmark, with "MINTED IN THE USA" struck below.

The reverse is struck as a periodic-table cell for silver, reading "1 TROY OUNCE .999 FINE" arced at top, "47 / Ag / Silver / 107.8682" at center, ringed by concentric orbital rings depicting silver's electron shells.

2015 Elemetal 47 Silver Round Overview

The 2015 Elemetal 47 Silver Round is a one troy ounce .999 fine silver bullion round struck under the Elemetal brand of Dallas, Texas. In mid-2015, Elemetal unified NTR Metals, Ohio Precious Metals, and Provident Mint under one public name. Where most private bullion rounds borrow an eagle, a buffalo, or a national symbol, this one turns to the metal itself. It is a coin about silver, made of silver.

The reverse is a single cell of the periodic table devoted to element 47. Silver’s atomic number is 47, meaning each silver atom carries 47 protons in its nucleus. Its chemical symbol, “Ag,” comes from the Latin argentum, a word rooted in an older term for shining or white, the same root behind the name of Argentina. Silver is among the oldest metals worked by people, mined and refined in Anatolia and the Aegean thousands of years before anyone grouped elements into a table. That table came in 1869, when the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev arranged the known elements by atomic weight and recurring properties. The modern version, ordered by atomic number, is the layout this round reproduces.

The round strikes four facts from that cell at its center: the number “47,” a large “Ag,” the name “Silver,” and the standard atomic weight “107.8682.” Around them run concentric orbital rings set with small dot clusters, a stylized picture of the electron shells around a silver atom. Silver’s 47 electrons fill five shells in a 2-8-18-18-1 arrangement. That single outermost electron helps explain why silver conducts electricity and heat better than any other metal. “1 TROY OUNCE .999 FINE” arcs along the upper rim, so the purity statement sits right above the element it describes.

The obverse is the company’s signature. Elemetal’s angular “hourglass” logomark, marked with a small registered-trademark symbol, sits above the “ELEMETAL” wordmark in outlined letters. A horizontal rule follows, then “MINTED IN THE USA.” Together the two faces make a simple statement: a Texas refiner and mint putting its own name on a piece of the element it works with every day.

Elemetal first issued the round in 2015 and still produces it today. Because neither face carries a date, an example struck in 2015 and one struck years later look the same, and nothing on the coin tells them apart. The 2015 year marks when the design first appeared, not when any given example was minted. A dated sale record or original packaging can place an individual piece early, but most examples cannot be dated more closely than the life of the design. The design is known in two strikes from the same dies. Their finish is the only visible difference between examples, and neither strike has been tied to specific production years.

2015 Elemetal 47 Silver Round Brilliant Uncirculated Strike

The brilliant uncirculated strike shows the design on a bright, smooth field. The logomark, the outlined wordmark, the “Ag,” and the orbital rings all read as crisp raised line-work against an even, reflective surface. With no textural contrast between field and device, the design depends on the sharpness of its outlines. That suits a design built from clean geometric lines and modern sans-serif lettering, and it gives the round the plain, technical look of a printed chart. This is the strike shown in this entry’s primary obverse and reverse photos.

2015 Elemetal 47 Silver Round Frosted-Field Strike

The frosted-field strike carries the same design on a sandblasted, finely grained field, with the devices left polished and raised above it. The finish reverses the usual bullion contrast. Instead of frosted devices on a bright field, the “Ag,” the “47,” the logomark, and the lettering shine against a matte ground. The orbital rings and dot clusters stand out sharply on the textured reverse. Current bullion retail listings describe the round in this finish. When the frosted-field strike was introduced, and whether it replaced the brilliant uncirculated strike or ran alongside it, has not been documented.

2015 Elemetal 47 Silver Round Attribution

The round carries no struck date on either face. It is attributed to 2015 and tied to Elemetal’s June 2015 announcement unifying its operating companies, including its minting arm, under the Elemetal name. The design carries the “ELEMETAL” wordmark rather than the earlier NTR Metals or OPM branding, so it cannot predate that rebrand. A documented sale dated October 30, 2015 supports a mid-year introduction of the design. The 2015 attribution stands pending contemporary documentation of an exact release date.

The 2015 year applies to the design. Both strikes come from the same dies, and the frosted-field strike is recorded as a finish variety of this design rather than a separately dated issue. The “ELEMETAL” legend is recorded as the Mint Mark, so the round is undated but not unmarked.

2015 Elemetal 47 Silver Round Notes

• The “47” in the title refers to the reverse’s atomic-number motif and distinguishes this design from any other Elemetal design catalogued later.
• Two strikes are documented from the same design: brilliant uncirculated and frosted-field. Which came first, and whether they overlapped, is not documented.
• Elemetal continues to produce this round.
• Dealer listings note the round typically ships in a plastic flip, with an Air-Tite capsule offered as an optional upgrade.
• No Set/Collection designation or formal series name has been identified.
• Mintage is not documented for either strike.

2015 Elemetal 47 Silver Round References

• Elemetal 1 oz Silver Round, Provident Metals
• Elemetal 1 oz Silver Round (New), Hero Bullion
• WorthPoint sold listing, “1 Troy Oz. Elemetal Silver Round Minted in USA,” sold $19.58, Oct 30, 2015
• Elemetal (Dallas, TX), The Texas Stacker
• Documented examples examined (this entry): brilliant uncirculated strike and frosted-field strike
• Texas Stacker Archives

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