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Jul 53 min read

Collectible Plastic? How Rare Are The Originally Issued Official Engelhard American Prospector Tubes?


If you are a silver bar collector, you probably know Engelhard, one of the most renowned names in the precious metals industry. Founded in 1902 by Charles W. Engelhard, Sr., the company grew to become the world’s largest refiner and fabricator of platinum, gold, and silver, as well as a leader in specialty chemicals and materials.


One of the most iconic bullion products produced by Engelhard was the very recognizable American Prospector Silver Rounds. The 1oz standard production rounds were produced in estimated quantities of 75,000 of each type, with seven round types spanning across six years for a total estimated mintage of 525,000 for standard production 1oz silver American Prospector rounds. American Prospectors were originally issued in strips of 10x lollipop-style plastic seals as well as Engelhard-branded plastic tubes, which had a capacity to snugly hold 25x rounds. These empty 1oz tubes demand extremely high premiums on the secondary market frequently nearing the $100 mark for just an empty tube. We believe the reason for this is the extremely low quantity of these Engelhard-branded tubes that exist. We estimate that there are no more than 21,000 plastic 1oz Engelhard tubes that exist and believe that there are far fewer surviving examples.



When it comes to the fractional American Prospector rounds, these smaller rounds were produced in significantly smaller quantities and were also only produced across one year: 1985. Engelhard produced American Prospector fractional rounds in the following weight classes: 1/10oz (50k minted), 1/4oz (25k minted), and 1/2oz (50k minted). Based on these mintage estimates, we believe that the empty fractional Engelhard-branded tubes that the fractional rounds were originally issued in are exceedingly rare. Each 1/10oz tube was originally issued with a whopping 50x fractional 1/10oz rounds leading us to believe that there were likely no more than 1,000 1/10oz fractional prospector tubes that were produced with far fewer surviving examples remaining. Similarly, we estimate that there are a total of 1,250 1/4oz fractional tubes and 5,000 1/2oz fractional tubes that were likely originally issued making each of these tubes far more scarce than the standard 1oz tubes.


Engelhard Official Plastic Tubes: A Closer Look


While the 1oz Engelhard American Prospector Rounds were issued in white plastic tubes with an Engelhard-branded cap and a bottom that depicts the tube maker "Alfred S. Colella" out of West Covina, California, the fractional tubes vary significantly in design.

Each of the fractional tubes, made in Hong Kong by Superior, featured a colorized Engelhard-branded sticker wrapped around a clear plastic tube with a white cap. The top of the cap contained an additional white sticker, which indicates the weight class and quantity of rounds that the tubes were originally issued with. 1/10oz prospectors were originally issued in tubes meant for 1 cent coins (pennies), while the 1/4oz tubes and 1/2oz tubes were respectively designed to accommodate 25 cent and 50 cent coins.


EMPTY Official Original ENGELHARD AMERICAN PROSPECTOR 25 Round Tube - No Silver



EMPTY Official Original ENGELHARD AMERICAN PROSPECTOR Clear Fractional Tubes



Why Collect Engelhard Official Plastic Tubes?


While the inherent value of empty plastic tubes can hardly be considered a worthwhile investment, the intriguing history behind such pieces can be of great interest to collectors who take pride in their vintage bullion collections. These original plastic tubes are a testament to the high quality standards held by Engelhard and are only becoming more difficult to obtain over time due to the limited nature of these particular items. Additionally, the tubes act as the best possible storage solution for anyone looking to store multiple authentic Engelhard American Prospector rounds.


How to Get Official Engelhard Plastic Tubes?


If you are interested in acquiring original Official Engelhard American Prospector Plastic Tubes in any size, you have come to the right place. We typically have all of the tube types mentioned in this blog post available on our site, so be sure to place an order when you see the items in stock! Everything on our website is sourced from reputable suppliers and bullion products are verified for purity using industry-standard Sigma Metalytics testing equipment, so you can shop with confidence and peace of mind. Whether you want to buy one or more items, we have what you need at competitive prices.


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