1 oz Silver Bar

A 1 oz silver bar is the smallest standard silver bar most Canadian dealers stock. It holds one troy ounce (31.1 g) of .999 fine silver, which makes it an easy way to buy silver in small, regular amounts. On this page you can compare what Canadian dealers charge for a generic 1 oz silver bar right now, delivered price included.

What is a 1 oz silver bar?

A 1 oz silver bar is a thin minted wafer or a small poured bar stamped with its weight, fineness and the refiner’s mark. Dealers in Canada sell several versions:

• Mint varies bars: the dealer ships whichever brand is in stock, usually at the lowest premium.
• Minted wafers: flat, polished bars from refiners such as Sunshine Mint, often with a serial number or an anti-counterfeit feature.
• House brand bars: bars a dealer has made under its own name.

All of them carry the same amount of silver. What changes is the finish, the packaging and the premium you pay above the spot price.

Specifications

• Form: silver bar
• Weight: 1 troy ounce (31.1 g)
• Fineness: Ag .999
• Producer: varies by dealer

Who is it for?

Is a 1 oz bar the right size for you? It suits buyers who:

• want to add silver every month without committing to a large purchase,
• prefer small units that are easy to sell one at a time,
• are comparing the cost of bars and coins before a bigger order.

If you plan to buy larger amounts, a 10 oz silver bar or a 1 kg silver bar usually costs less per ounce. If you want a recognized government coin instead, look at the 1 oz Maple Leaf Silver Coin from the Royal Canadian Mint.

What to check before you buy

• Premium over spot: on a small bar the dealer margin is a large share of the price. Compare the total, not the headline price. You can follow the metal itself on the silver price chart.
• Shipping and insurance: many Canadian dealers charge a flat fee or offer free shipping above a set order value. On a single 1 oz bar the fee can matter more than the bar itself.
• Brand and packaging: bars from known refiners in original sealed packaging are easier to resell.
• Buyback: ask what the dealer pays when you sell back. A low buyback spread is worth as much as a low selling price.

Tax on silver bars in Canada

Silver of at least 99.9% purity counts as a precious metal under Canadian sales tax rules, so a .999 fine 1 oz bar carries no GST/HST. When you sell at a profit, half of the capital gain is added to your taxable income. Frequent trading can be treated as business income instead, so check the details for your situation. Our guide to tax on gold and silver in Canada explains both rules and has a calculator.

1 oz silver bar or 1 oz silver coin?

Both hold the same weight of silver. The difference is in cost and recognition:

• Bars usually have a lower premium than government coins.
• Coins such as the Maple Leaf have a face value, security features and wide recognition, which can help when you sell.
• Bars stack neatly and are simple to count and store.

For the lowest cost per ounce, bars tend to win. For easy resale anywhere in Canada, many buyers choose coins. You can also compare the cheapest silver coins on Metals Radar.