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941.311

English is not an official language of the Swiss Confederation. This translation is provided for information purposes only and has no legal force.

Ordinance
on the Control of Trade in Precious Metals
and Articles of Precious Metals

(Precious Metals Control Ordinance, PMCO)¹

of 8 May 1934 (Status as of 1 July 2010)

Section 1: Organisation of official bodies

Art. 1 I. Federal Council

Art. 2 II. Department of Finance

Art. 3 III. Central Office / 1 .Organisation

Art. 4 III. Central Office / 2. Duties

Art. 5

Art. 6 IV. Assay Offices / 1. Organisation / a. Establishment / aa. Federal Assay Offices

Art. 7 IV. Assay Offices / 1. Organisation / a. Establishment / bb. Cantonal Assay Offices

Art. 8 IV. Assay Offices / 1. Organisation / b. Staff of Assay Offices

Art. 9 IV. Assay Offices / 1. Organisation / c. Dissolution of Assay Offices

Art. 10–13

Art. 14 IV. Assay Offices / 2. Duties / a. Content

Art. 15 IV. Assay Offices / 2. Duties / b. Determination of scope of authority

Art. 16 IV. Assay Offices / 3. Operations

Art. 17 IV. Assay Offices / 4. Official stamps

Art. 18 IV. Assay Offices / 5. Controls / a. Controls and books

Art. 19 IV. Assay Offices / 5. Controls / b. Verification

Art. 20 V. Officially sworn assayers / 1. Assayer’s diploma / a. Content

Art. 21 V. Officially sworn assayers / 1. Assayer’s diploma / b. Personal requirements

Art. 22 V. Officially sworn assayers / 1. Assayer’s diploma / c. Examination / aa. Examination board

Art. 23 V. Officially sworn assayers / 1. Assayer’s diploma / c. Examination / bb. Examination process

Art. 24 V. Officially sworn assayers / 1. Assayer’s diploma / c. Examination / cc. Results of the examination

Art. 25 V. Officially sworn assayers / 1. Assayer’s diploma / d. Swearing in and awarding of the diploma

Art. 26 V. Officially sworn assayers / 2. Duties of the profession

Art. 27

Art.  28 VI. Trade assayers / 1. Definition of their work

Art. 29 VI. Trade assayers / 2. Operating licence

Art. 30 VI. Trade assayers / 3. Marking

Art. 31 VI. Trade assayers / 4. Duties of the profession

Art. 32 VI. Trade assayers / 5. ...

Art. 33 VI. Trade assayers / 6. Registration

Art. 34 VI. Trade assayers / 7. Responsibility and supervision

Section 2:³ Definitions of Provisions on Article Categories and Fineness⁴

Art. 35 Alloys and fineness

Art. 35a Waste products

Art. 36 Solders

Art. 37 Filled-in objects

Art. 38 Watch-cases

Art. 39 Coins, medals

Art. 40 Mixed articles

Art. 41 Multi-metal articles

Art. 42 Mechanisms and other components

Art. 43 Plated articles

Art. 44 Surface coatings and colour combinations

Section 3:⁵ Fineness Marks, Other Marks and Stamps

Art. 45 Exceptions

Art. 46 Precious metal articles

Art. 47 Mixed articles

Art. 48 Multi-metal articles

Art. 49 Plated articles

Art. 50 Prohibited marks on plated articles and imitations

Art. 51 Tableware and cutlery

Art. 52 Supplies and semi-finished products

Art. 53–57

Section 4: Responsibility Mark

Art. 58 Responsibility

Art. 59 Distinctiveness

Art. 60 Collective responsibility mark

Art. 61 Form of the collective responsibility mark

Art. 62 Origin of the right to the mark

Art. 63 Priority

Art. 64 Grounds for rejection

Art. 65 Application for registration

Art. 66 Registration application

Art. 67 Reproduction of the mark

Art. 68 Examination of the application

Art. 69 Registration

Art. 70 Extension of registration

Art. 71 Obligation to notify and automatic instigation of an investigation

Art. 72 Modifications and deletions

Art. 73 Register of responsibility marks

Art. 74 Archiving of files

Art. 75 Publication

Art. 76-80

Section 5: Official Controlling and Hallmarking

Art. 81 I. Purpose of the official assay

Art. 82 II. The official assay / 1. Mandatory

Art. 83 2. Hallmarking of multi-metal articles

Art. 84 III. Control procedure / 1. Introduction / a. Request

Art. 85 III. Control procedure / 1. Introduction / b. Enclosure of the article

Art. 86

Art. 87 III. Control procedure / 2. Formal verification

Art. 88–90

Art. 91 III. Control procedure / 3. Material verification

Art. 92 III. Control procedure / 3. Material verification / a. Determination of the fineness

Art. 93 III. Control procedure / 3. Material verification / b. Method of sampling

Art. 94

Art. 95 III. Control procedure / 3. Material verification / c. Return of material

Art. 96 III. Control procedure / 3. Material verification / d. Touchstone testing

Art. 97 e. Certified material

Art. 98 IV. Objection procedure / 1. Principle

Art. 99 IV. Objection procedure / 2. Report to Central Office

Art. 100 IV. Objection procedure / 3. Procedure of the Central Office in the case of an objection to the fineness / a. Ordering of a second opinion

Art. 101 IV. Objection procedure / 3. Procedure of the Central Office in the case of an objection to the fineness / b. Type of verification

Art. 102 IV. Objection procedure / 3. Procedure of the Central Office in the case of an objection to the fineness / c. Article found to comply

Art. 103 IV. Objection procedure / 3. Procedure of the Central Office in the case of an objection to the fineness / d. Confirmation of an offence

Art. 104 IV. Objection procedure / 3. Procedure of the Central Office in the case of an objection to the fineness / e. Justification of the objection without an offence being committed / aa. Procedure

Art. 105 IV. Objection procedure / 3. Procedure of the Central Office in the case of an objection to the fineness / e. Justification of the objection without an offence being committed / bb. Safeguarding measures

Art. 106 IV. Objection procedure / 4. Procedure of the Central Office in the case of an objection to the responsibility mark

Art. 107 IV. Objection procedure / 5. Expenses

Art. 108 V. Stamping / 1. Procedure

Art. 109 V. Stamping / 2. Hallmark / a. Type

Art. 110–112

Art. 113 V. Stamping / 2. Hallmark / b. Delivery of the official hallmark

Art. 114 V. Stamping / 2. Hallmark / c. Storage of the hallmarks at the Assay Office and replacement

Art. 115 V. Stamping / 2. Hallmark / d. Periodic inspection of the hallmarks at the Assay Offices

Art. 116

Art. 117 V. Stamping / 3. Application of the hallmarks onto objects

Art. 117a V. Stamping / 4. Agreement

Art. 118 VI. Procedure for returning the article

Art. 119–120

Art. 121 VII. Renewal of hallmarks / 1. When replacing individual parts of the hallmarked article

Art. 122 VII. Renewal of hallmarks / 2. Replacement of a damaged hallmark

Art. 123 VIII. Retention of documents

Art. 124–125

Section 6: Import, Export and Transit

Art. 126 I. Import / 1. Permissibility

Art. 127

Art. 128 I. Import / 2. Exceptions

Art. 129 I. Import / 3. Procedure / a. Clearance offices

Art. 130 I. Import / 3. Procedure / b. Import declaration

Art. 131 I. Import / 3. Procedure / c. Clearance

Art. 132–133

Art. 134 I. Import / 4. Temporary import

Art. 135 II. Export / 1. Marking the article

Art. 136 II. Export / 1. Marking the article / 2. Procedure a. Customs offices

Art. 137 II. Export / 1. Marking the article / b. Export declaration

Art. 138 II. Export / 1. Marking the article / c. Export of unstamped watch-cases

Art. 139 II. Export / 1. Marking the article / d. Clearance

Art. 140 III. Transit / 1. Applicability of the legal provisions concerning import

Art. 141 III. Transit / 2. Treatment of articles in storage

Section 7: …

Art. 142–144

Art. 144a and 144b

Art. 145 and 146

Art. 147

Art. 148–152

Art. 153

Art. 154–161

Art. 162–163

Section 8: Manufacture of Melt Products

Art. 164 I. Definition of commercial activity

Art. 165 II. Melter’s licence / 1. Application

Art. 165a II. Melter’s licence / 2. Personal requirement

Art. 165b II. Melter’s licence / 3. Supporting documents

Art. 165c II. Melter’s licence / 4. Decision on the application

Art. 166 II. Melter’s licence / 2. Renewal of the licence

Art. 166a II. Melter’s licence / 6. Withdrawal of the licence

Art. 166b II. Melter’s licence / 7. Publication

Art. 167

Art. 168 II. Melter’s licence / 1. General obligations

Art. 168a II. Melter’s licence / 2. Acceptance of melt material

Art. 168b II. Melter’s licence / 3. Organisational measures

Art. 168c IV. Bookkeeping

Art. 168d IV. Bookkeeping / VI. Supervision

Art. 169 IV. Bookkeeping / VII. Melter’s mark

Art. 170

Art. 171 IV. Bookkeeping / 1. Licence

Art. 172 IV. Bookkeeping / 2. Individual melter’s mark

Art. 173 IX. Determination of the fineness of melt products / 1. Requirement

Art. 174 IX. Determination of the fineness of melt products / 2 Means of testing

Art. 175 IX. Determination of the fineness of melt products / 3. Test method / a. Test of origin

Art. 176 IX. Determination of the fineness of melt products / 3. Test method / b. Determination of the fineness and return

Art. 177 IX. Determination of the fineness of melt products / 3. Test method / c. Second opinion

Art. 178 IX. Determination of the fineness of melt products / 4. Recognition of foreign determinations of the fineness

Section 9: Criminal Proceedings

Art. 179 I. Filing a criminal complaint in the case of an offence / 1. By holders of melter’s licences and trade assayers

Art. 180 I. Filing a criminal complaint in the case of an offence / 2. By Assay Offices and customs offices

Art. 181 II. Determining and investigating offences

Art. 182

Section 10: Appeals

Art. 183 I. Requirements

Art. 184–185

Section 11: Fees⁶

Art. 186 Fees

Art. 187–189

Art. 190 II. Commencement and repeal of previous provisions

Final Provision of 19 June 1995⁷

Precious metal articles that satisfy the new conditions but are still stamped with the old official hallmark may continue to be placed on the market.

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 AS 50 363 and BS 10 147

¹ Amended in accordance with No. I of the Ordinance of 17 Feb. 1993, in force since 1 April 1993 (AS 1993 984).
² SR 941.31
³ Amended in accordance with No. I of the Ordinance of 19 June 1995, in force since 1 Aug. 1995 (AS 1995 3113).
⁴ Amended in accordance with No. I of the Ordinance of 26 May 2010, in force since 1 July 2010 (AS 2010 2219).
⁵ Amended in accordance with No. I of the Ordinance of 19 June 1995, in force since 1 Aug. 1995 (AS 1995 3113).
⁶ Amended in accordance with No. I of the Ordinance of 19 June 1995, in force since 1 Aug. 1995 (AS 1995 3113).
⁷ AS 1995 3113

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