Testing metal in Bodmin is nothing new
Long before Gold Traders opened on Fore Street, Bodmin was a place where precious metal was checked and weighed. In 1305, a royal charter named Bodmin as one of Cornwall's stannary towns, along with Lostwithiel, Liskeard, Truro and Helston.
Every block of Cornish tin had to be brought to one of these towns to be tested for quality and taxed before it could be sold. That tax was called coinage, which is where the name coinage hall comes from.
Cornwall has even produced small traces of gold of its own, found alongside its tin and copper. You can read more in our guide, Is there gold in Cornwall?
We do a similar job today, just with modern kit. Our Bodmin team uses an X-ray fluorescence (XRF) machine, which reads the metal content of an item in seconds without scratching or damaging it. That means we can value pieces with no hallmark too.
Getting to our Bodmin branch
Bodmin sits close to where the A30 meets the A38 and A39, which makes it one of the easiest places in Cornwall to reach by car. Most of the county's bigger towns are under an hour away.
- St Austell: about 12 miles, around 25 minutes
- Newquay: about 20 miles, around 30 minutes
- Truro: about 26 miles, around 40 minutes
- Saltash: about 26 miles, around 40 minutes
- Redruth: about 32 miles, around 45 minutes
- Camborne: about 36 miles, around 50 minutes
- Falmouth: about 37 miles, just under an hour
- Penzance: about 49 miles, just over an hour
Times are rough guides and will be longer in summer traffic. For everyday selling you don't need an appointment. If you're bringing a large collection or specialist items, call us first on 01208 420331 so the right person is free to see you.
Selling gold by post from anywhere in Cornwall
If Bodmin isn't handy, you can sell to us without leaving home. Fill in our online claim form for an upfront valuation, then pack and post your items to us.
Every parcel is opened and weighed on CCTV when it arrives. We pay you within 24 hours of receipt, and if you don't like our offer, we'll send your items back free of charge.
Visit us in Bodmin
3 Fore Street, Bodmin, PL31 2HT. Open Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 4:30pm.
Sell by post
Stay at home and send your gold to us safely. Same fair price, fast payment.
When auction might pay you more
Not everything should be sold for its gold weight. A signed piece of jewellery, a rare coin or a well-known watch can be worth far more to a collector than to a refinery.
Our Bodmin branch is an official consignment centre for our sister company, RWB Auctions. If we think your item would do better at auction, we'll tell you straight, and we can handle the valuation, packing and listing for you from Bodmin.
Be careful with pop-up gold buyers
Cornwall gets its share of travelling buyers who hire a hotel room or village hall for a day or two, then move on. Some pay far less than the market value, and once they've gone it can be hard to raise a problem.
Before you sell anywhere, ask three things
- What is your price per gram for my carat of gold?
- What percentage of the market price is that?
- Where can I find you next month if something goes wrong?
We answer all three in public. Our prices are on this page, our percentage of the market price is shown above (91.6% for scrap gold today), and our Bodmin branch is open five days a week.
Why Cornwall sells to Gold Traders
- Trading Standards approved. We were the first precious metals company in the UK to earn Buy With Confidence approval, and we are the only Trading Standards accredited gold buyer in the South West.
- A branch in the middle of Cornwall. Our Bodmin team tests, weighs and values your gold while you wait.
- Same-day payment. Sell in branch and we pay you the same day, by bank transfer or cash, once you accept our offer (subject to timely authorisation).
- Two prices, not one. We show the live market value and the price we pay, so you can see our margin for yourself.
- Official Partner of The Royal Mint®. We are the only partner of The Royal Mint in the South West of the UK.
- Trading since 2008. Eighteen years of buying gold, silver and coins from people across the country.
Local guides to selling gold in Cornwall
Each guide covers how to reach us from your town, and the kinds of items we're asked about most there.
Get a free valuation today
Find out what your gold is really worth, with no obligation to sell. Contact us for a free valuation, or pop into our Bodmin branch and we'll test it while you wait.
