Gold bullion

A gold bar, also called gold bullion or gold ingot, is a quantity of refined metallic gold of any shape that is made by a bar producer meeting standard conditions of manufacture, labeling, and record keeping. Larger gold bars that are produced by pouring the molten metal into molds are called ingots. Smaller bars may be manufactured by minting or stamping from appropriately rolled gold sheets. The standard gold bar held as gold reserves by central banks and traded among bullion dealers is the Good Delivery gold bar. The kilobar, which is in mass, and a 100 troy ounce gold bar are the bars that are more manageable and are used extensively for trading and investment. The premium on these bars when traded is very low over the spot value of the gold, making it ideal for small transfers between banks and traders. Most kilobars are flat, although some investors, particularly in Europe, prefer the brick shape.

Types

Based upon how they are manufactured, gold bars are categorized as having been cast or minted, with both differing in their appearance and price. Cast bars are created in a similar method to that of ingots, whereby molten gold is poured into a bar-shaped mold and left to solidify. This process often leads to malformed bars with uneven surfaces which, although imperfect, make each bar unique and easier to identify. Cast bars are also cheaper than minted bars, because they are quicker to produce and require less handling.

Minted bars are made from gold blanks that have been cut to a required dimension from a flat piece of gold. These are identified by having smooth and even surfaces.

Security features

To prevent bars from being counterfeited or stolen, manufacturers have developed ways to verify genuine bars, with the most common way being to brand bars with registered serial numbers or providing a certificate of authenticity. In a recent trend, many refineries would stamp serial numbers even on the smallest bars, and the number on the bar should match the number on its accompanying certificate.

In contrast to cast bars (which are often handled directly), minted bars are generally sealed in protective packaging to prevent tampering and keep them from becoming damaged. A hologram security feature known as a Kinegram can also be inserted into the packaging. Bars that contain these are called Kinebars.

File:Kinebar3.jpg, 1 oz diffractive kinebar
File:Gold Ingot 100g Perth Mint.JPG, Bar in protective casing

Standard bar weight units

Gold is measured in troy ounces, often simply referred to as ounces when the reference to gold is evident. . Commonly encountered in daily life is the avoirdupois ounce, an Imperial weight in countries still using British weights and measures or United States customary units. The avoirdupois ounce is lighter than the troy ounce; .

The standard gold bar held and traded internationally by central banks and bullion dealers is the '' Good Delivery'' bar with a nominal weight. However, its precise gold content is permitted to vary between and . The minimum purity required is 99.5% gold. These bars must be stored in recognized and secure gold bullion vaults to maintain their quality status of Good Delivery. The recorded provenance of this bar assures integrity and maximum resale value.

* One tonne = 1,000 kilograms = 32,150.746 troy ounces.
* One kilogram = 1,000 grams = 32.15074656 troy ounces.
* One tola = 11.6638038 grams = 0.375 troy ounces.
* One tael = 50 grams.This is the official rate of taels in mainland China since the country implemented the metric system. In Taiwan and Hong Kong, a tael is equivalent to 37.429 g.
* TT (ten tola) = 117 grams (3.75 oz)

Tola is a traditional Indian measure for the weight of gold and prevalent to this day. Many international gold manufacturers supply tola bars of 999.96 purity.

Manufacturers

Largest gold bar

The world's largest gold bar stands at , measuring at the base and high with 5 degree draft angle (equal to ). It was manufactured by the Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi. It went on display at the Toi Gold Museum on 11 July 2005. Its gold content was valued in 2005 at 400 million yen (approximately US$3,684,000 at the time). , it is worth approximately US$16.1M, not accounting for the premium associated with being the world's largest gold bar.

See also

* Bullion
* Doré bar
* Gold as an investment
* Gold coin
* Inflation hedge
* Ingot
* Millesimal fineness
* Official gold reserves
* Platinum
* Precious metal
* Silver
* United States Bullion Depository

Explanatory notes

References

External links

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Bar
Gold objects