As used in this article, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the following terms shall have the meanings herein ascribed to them:
(a) “Coin.” Any piece of gold, silver or other metal fashioned into a prescribed shape, weight and degree of fineness, stamped by authority of a government with certain marks and devices and having a certain fixed value as money.
(b) “Sheriff.” The Sheriff of the County or any of his sworn deputies.
(c) “Dealer.” Any person, firm, partnership or corporation engaged in the business of (i) purchasing secondhand precious metals or gems, (ii) removing in any manner precious metals or gems from manufactured articles not then owned by such person, firm, partnership or corporation, or (iii) buying, acquiring or selling precious metals or gems removed from such manufactured articles.
This definition shall not be construed so as to include persons engaged in the following activities:
(1) Purchasing of precious metals or gems directly from other dealers, manufacturers or wholesalers for retail or wholesale inventories, provided the selling dealer has complied with the provisions of this article;
(2) Purchasing of precious metals or gems from a qualified fiduciary who is disposing of the assets of an estate being administered by such fiduciary;
(3) Acceptance by a retail merchant of trade-in merchandise previously sold by such retail merchant to the person presenting that merchandise for trade-in;
(4) Repairing, restoring or designing jewelry by a retail merchant, if such activities are within his normal course of business;
(5) Purchasing of precious metals or gems by industrial refiners and manufacturers, insofar as such purchases are made directly from retail merchants, wholesalers, dealers or by mail originating outside the Commonwealth of Virginia; or
(6) Persons regularly engaged in the business of purchasing and processing nonprecious scrap metals which incidentally may contain traces of precious metals recoverable as a by-product.
(d) Itinerant Dealer. Any dealer as defined herein who engages in any temporary or transient business conducted in a shop, room, hotel room, motel room, private residence or other premises for any duration less than 15 consecutive days.
(e) Gems. Any item containing precious or semiprecious stones customarily used in jewelry.
(f) Precious metals. Any item except coins composed in whole or in part of gold, silver, platinum or platinum alloys.
(Ord. 15-09. Passed 12-9-15.)