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Choosing between Monument Metals and APMEX comes down to two very different business models built at two very different points in the precious metals industry's history.
APMEX launched in 1999 as American Precious Metals Exchange in Edmond, Oklahoma, founded by Scott Thomas, and has grown into one of the largest online bullion retailers in the country.
Monument Metals launched in 2014 out of Frederick, Maryland, founded by Jonathan Swyers, and built its reputation as a leaner, lower-overhead alternative.
Both sell gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bullion alongside rare coins, but the size of their catalogs, their pricing structure, and their customer review patterns diverge in ways that matter to anyone about to place an order.
Key Takeaways
- APMEX carries roughly 30,000 products and has processed more than $20 billion in transactions since 1999, while Monument Metals runs a smaller, more focused catalog built around competitive premiums.
- Monument Metals holds an A+ BBB rating since 2017 and strong Trustpilot scores, while APMEX also holds an A+ BBB rating but shows a wide gap between its Shopper Approved score and its Trustpilot score.
- Free shipping thresholds and reward programs differ significantly: APMEX requires a $199 minimum order for free shipping, while Monument Metals frequently promotes lower thresholds tied to current promotions.
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Company Background
APMEX has been in business for over 25 years. Scott Thomas started the company as a side venture while working as a mortgage underwriter and coin collector in Oklahoma.
It has since scaled into a full e-commerce operation with a physical presence in Oklahoma City and a product line that spans mint-direct bullion, vintage coins, jewelry, and a fractional ownership platform called OneGold, co-founded with Sprott.
APMEX states on its own site that it has completed more than $20 billion in transactions and served over 1.8 million customers, with a catalog of more than 30,000 products.
Monument Metals is ten years younger. Jonathan Swyers founded the company in 2014 after working in financial operations and international trading roles at firms including Asset Strategies International.
Monument Metals operates out of Frederick, Maryland, and has grown quickly enough to land on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies. The company markets itself around low overhead and tight premiums rather than the breadth of a 30,000-item catalog.
It also expanded into local buying services in 2025, opening a physical storefront in Frederick for people who want to sell gold, silver, or jewelry in person rather than by mail.
Product Selection
APMEX's catalog is the larger of the two by a wide margin. Shoppers can find gold and silver from the U.S. Mint, the Perth Mint, the Royal Canadian Mint, the Royal Mint, the Austrian Mint, and dozens of smaller world mints, plus licensed novelty items tied to franchises like Harry Potter, Star Wars, and MLB teams.
APMEX also runs a dedicated vintage and rare coin section, a copper and base metals section, and a jewelry line.
Monument Metals covers the four core bullion metals and rare coins but does not attempt to match APMEX's breadth of licensed or novelty products.
The company's site organizes inventory by metal type first, with market alert tools that notify buyers when spot prices hit a target threshold.
That tool is aimed at active stackers who watch spot price movement rather than casual collectors browsing themed coin releases.
| Category | Monument Metals | APMEX |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2014 | 1999 |
| Headquarters | Frederick, MD | Oklahoma City, OK |
| Product catalog size | Focused (gold, silver, platinum, palladium, rare coins) | 30,000+ SKUs |
| BBB rating | A+ (since 2017) | A+ (since 2004) |
| Free shipping threshold | Varies by promotion | $199 minimum |
| IRA products | Yes | Yes, with $2,000 minimum |
| Loyalty/rewards program | None publicized | Bullion Card, 4% back in metal |
| Physical location for local sales | Yes, Frederick, MD storefront | No |
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Pricing and Premiums
Premiums over spot price are the number that matters most to a bullion buyer, and both companies compete on this directly rather than charging flat commissions.
Monument Metals built its brand promise around low premiums as a smaller operation without the overhead of a large call center or a 30,000-item warehouse.
Multiple third-party review sites, including Better Bullion and FindBullionPrices, describe Monument Metals as consistently competitive on price for common bullion products like Silver Eagles and Gold Buffalos.
APMEX runs frequent promotional pricing, including its "Deals of the Week" section that lists specific percentage discounts off premium.
As of mid-2026, that section showed items ranging from 38% to 67% off premium on select silver bars, gold bars, and coins, though these are promotional prices on rotating inventory rather than a permanent standing discount across the catalog.
APMEX also uses tiered pricing on many products labeled "Any Quantity" or "As Low As," meaning the price shown often reflects a bulk order rather than a single-unit purchase.
Buyers comparing per-unit pricing on both sites should check the actual checkout total rather than the headline price, since quantity breaks change the math substantially.
Customer Reviews and Reputation
This is where the two companies look most different, and the difference is not really about legitimacy. It is about which review platform you trust.
Monument Metals holds an A+ BBB rating that has been in place since 2017. On Trustpilot, third-party trackers report Monument Metals scoring around 4.7 out of 5 based on roughly 1,200 reviews.
The BBB profile itself lists a smaller review count, closer to a dozen, with one formal complaint on file as of early 2026 involving a delayed payout on a sell-to-us transaction.
Independent reviewers describe most negative feedback as centered on communication delays during high-demand periods rather than authenticity or fraud concerns.
APMEX also holds an A+ BBB rating, in place since 2004, based on roughly 250 reviews averaging around 4.3 to 4.4 out of 5 on that platform.
Where APMEX diverges sharply is on Trustpilot, where independent tracking sites report scores between 1.6 and 1.8 out of 5 from nearly 8,000 reviews, driven largely by complaints about shipping delays, denied insurance claims on lost packages, and slow customer service response.
At the same time, APMEX's own Shopper Approved page shows a 4.9 out of 5 rating from more than 220,000 verified purchase reviews.
The gap exists partly because Shopper Approved collects feedback at the point of sale, when satisfaction tends to be highest, while Trustpilot and similar sites attract a higher share of customers who had a specific problem.
That split matters for how you interpret either company's reputation. A single aggregate star rating does not tell the full story for a company processing hundreds of thousands of transactions a year.
The more useful signal is what recurring complaints show up across multiple platforms, and for both companies, the recurring issue is shipping and fulfillment speed rather than product authenticity or pricing integrity.
Shipping, Fees, and Payment Options
APMEX offers free shipping on orders over $199, with a flat fee applying below that threshold.
The company accepts wire transfer, personal check, credit card, and its own branded Bullion Card, which offers 4% back in metal on purchases and no annual fee.
AutoInvest, APMEX's recurring purchase program, also qualifies for free shipping once the account crosses that same $199 spending threshold.
Monument Metals structures shipping around order size as well, with the company promoting free shipping offers tied to current promotions rather than a single fixed number advertised year-round.
Payment methods include credit card, wire transfer, check, and PayPal, according to the company's BBB profile.
Neither company publishes a detailed public fee schedule for wire transfers or ACH processing, so it is worth confirming payment method fees directly at checkout before finalizing a large order.
IRA and Bulk Buying
Both companies support precious metals IRAs. APMEX lists a $2,000 minimum for IRA-eligible purchases and positions its IRA program as fully digital, without phone-based sales pressure.
Monument Metals also lists IRA-eligible bullion products across gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, aimed at the same self-directed retirement account market, though it does not publish as detailed a standalone IRA minimum on its main site.
For bulk buyers, APMEX's scale gives it more standing inventory of monster boxes and large-format silver bars, plus a dedicated market alert and portfolio tracking tool.
Monument Metals' market alert tool serves a similar function on a smaller product set, letting buyers set a spot price target and get notified when it hits.
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Which One Fits Your Situation
If you want the widest possible selection, licensed collectible lines, a loyalty rewards card, and a large volume of transaction history behind the company, APMEX's 25-plus years in business and 30,000-product catalog make it the larger operation by every measure.
If you want a smaller, more focused dealer with a strong Trustpilot track record and a growing local buying network, Monument Metals fits that profile.
Price-sensitive buyers should compare premiums on the specific product they want at checkout, since both companies run promotions and quantity discounts that shift the real cost more than any headline rating does.
The Verdict
Monument Metals and APMEX both hold A+ BBB ratings and sell the same core bullion products, but they differ in scale, catalog size, and how their reputations show up across review platforms.
Your best move is to price out the exact product and quantity you want on both sites before deciding, since premium differences on a specific coin or bar matter more than either company's overall rating.