Gold Bars
A Gold Bar is broadly defined as a cast or minted gold item, regardless of shape, which is made by a recognized bar manufacturer (PAMP Suisse gold bars, Credit Suisse gold bars etc). Gold bars are normally issued at a low premium above the prevailing value of their fine gold content.
The markings on gold bullion bars are mainly functional, recording where required the name of the manufacturer or issuer, the gold bar’s weight and gold purity, and a serial number (most cast gold bars record a serial number but most small minted gold bullion bars do not).
The minimum or specified gold purity of bullion gold bars, accepted as “good delivery” by leading associations and exchanges, can range from 99% to 99.99%.
Most minted gold bars manufactured worldwide include a design or motif on the reverse side as a standard feature.
Although most gold bullion bars are rectangular, they are also manufactured in a variety of other shapes (round, square, oval etc).
Cast Gold Bars
Gold Bars
Buying Gold Bars
Cast gold bars are normally produced directly from gold that has been melted. The traditional method is to cast (i.e. pour) gold, which has been melted in a crucible, into a mould with appropriate dimensions. A modern method, now widely used to manufacture a smaller cast gold bar, is to melt, in a furnace, a measured weight of gold granules or cut pieces of gold that have been placed in a mould with appropriate dimensions. Another modern method, used to create a cast gold bar that is long and flat, notably for the manufacture of minted gold bars, is to pass melted gold through a die, which has a specified width and thickness and has been clamped between cooling blocks, in a continuous casting process.
Minted Gold Bars
Minted gold bars are normally cut from a cast bar that has been rolled to a uniform thickness. The cutting is usually done with a die to create blanks that have the required dimensions and weight. Minted gold bars are also referred to as gold ingots, and in some countries as gold wafers.
Investment Gold Bars
The Industry Collection classifies a cast or minted gold bullion bar as an investment bar, when known to have been issued by a recognized bar manufacturer or issuer at a low premium above the prevailing value of its fine gold content.
Gold Bars Weights
Gold bars are normally classified into two broad categories of weight. A large gold bar weighs more than 1000 g, a small bar weighs 1000 g or less.
Gold bars can be denominated in different units of weight to accommodate the preferences of regions or countries (gram, troy ounce, tola, tael, baht, chi (or cay or luong), don and mesghal).
Although large gold bars are denominated in troy ounces and the international gold price is quoted in US dollars per troy ounce, there is a worldwide trend for small cast and minted gold bars to be denominated in grams.
Large gold bullion bars are available in 400-oz, 100-oz, 50-oz, 2 kg, 3 kg, 5kg and 10 kg.
Small gold bars are available in ranges from 0.3 to 1000 g, 1/10 to 20 ounces, 1 to 10 tola, 1 to 10 tael, 1 to 50 Baht, ½ to 10 Chi and up to 50 mesghal.
Gold Bars Purities
Gold Bars are manufactured in different millesimal gold purities (or fineness), most ranging between 965 and 999.9. Small Gold Bars are usually manufactured in gold purities ranging between 999.9 and 995.
How to buy gold bars safely? What do you think about gold bars for sale on Ebay?
Select a reputable dealer for buying gold bars. And I recommend you to buy gold bullion bars of recognized bar manufacturers like Credit Suisse gold bars, PAMP Suisse gold bars, Johnson Matthey gold bars or Perth Mint bars.