Here are some bits of information on the history of A-Mark for those who may not be familiar with the firm. Many thanks to Len Augsburger of the Newman Numismatic Portal for assistance. Len notes that the earliest mention in Coin World is a July 8, 1964 want ad by what was then called the A-Mark Coin Company. -Editor

The business was founded by Steven C. Markoff. Here's an encyclopedia.com excerpt. Shown is a full-page ad in the August 23, 1967 Coin World promoting silver investments. -Editor

Steven C. Markoff laid the groundwork for A-Mark Financial Corporation when he was yet a teenager, according to the Los Angeles Business Journal. A coin collector, Markoff established A-Mark Coin Company in 1965 and entered the rare coins and precious metals trading business. In 1972, the U.S. Treasury granted A-Mark a special license for dealing in gold. When gold ownership was extended as a right to all U.S. citizens in 1974, the company seized the opportunity to expand its business.

Four years later came another boon: The price of silver skyrocketed. The metal became very precious at $50 an ounce. Family heirlooms and coin collections were melted down to take advantage of the 1980 price surge, the Houston Chronicle recounted. During the year A-Mark traded millions of ounces of silver. In 1981, the company minted its first proprietary one-ounce silver bar.

A-Mark Precious Metals, Inc. sales topped $1 billion for 1983. The following year, the company began encapsulating and certifying gold coins through its Guaranteed U.S. Gold program.

By 1990, A-Mark was one of the largest wholesalers of precious metals, with banks, brokerage houses, refiners, jewelers, investment advisors, coin dealers, and government mints its main clients. The company had evolved along with the industry, growing as the market grew. "Since I've gotten into it, it's gone from a cottage industry to a fairly established market with very large players," Markoff told the Los Angeles Business Journal.

The company also owned Superior Stamp & Coin. Here's a Wikipedia excerpt. -Editor

Steven Markoff is a native of Los Angeles. He graduated from Los Angeles City College in 1964. In 1965, Markoff founded the A-Mark Financial Corporation, a Santa Monica-based financial services company that trades in rare coins and precious metals. The company was originally known as the A-Mark Coin Company (and later A-Mark Precious Metals, Inc.). A-Mark initially operated primarily as a wholesaler of rare coins and gold and silver bullion. In addition to serving as chairman and CEO of A-Mark, Markoff also held the role of president of the American Coin Exchange in the 1970s.

In January 1976, Markoff (through A-Mark) purchased The Redfield Hoard silver dollar collection for $7.3 million. The collection consisted of over 407,000 silver dollar coins weighing a total of 12 tons. Later that year, Markoff facilitated A-Mark's purchase of the J.E. Wilkinson gold pattern coin collection, consisting of 45 coins valued at a total $5 million. The collection also featured the 1907 Indian Head Double Eagle pattern worth $1 million on its own. The coin was formerly owned by King Farouk of Egypt.

Markoff saw continued success through A-Mark with sales exceeding $1 billion annually in the 1980s and 90s. In 2000, the Los Angeles Business Journal listed A-Mark Financial Corporation as the second-largest privately-owned firm in Los Angeles. Greg Manning Auctions Inc. bought a majority stake in A-Mark for $16 million in 2005. Thereafter, the firm changed its name to Escala Group, then to Spectrum Group International Inc. In 2009, it purchased the remainder of A-Mark.