The premium over spot is the difference between what you pay for a coin or bar and the value of the metal inside it at the spot price, usually shown as a percentage. It covers minting, distribution and the dealer's margin.
How to calculate the premium
Premium (%) = (price paid / metal value at spot - 1) x 100. Metal value = fine weight in troy ounces x CAD spot price.
Fixed-number example: say CAD spot is 4,000 per ounce. A 1 oz Gold Maple Leaf priced at 4,200 CAD has a premium of (4,200 / 4,000 - 1) x 100 = 5%. A 1/10 oz Maple Leaf priced at 460 CAD has a metal value of 400 CAD, so its premium is 15%. Same design, same purity, three times the premium per ounce. These are illustration numbers; the live premiums in our tables change every day.
What drives the premium in Canada
- Size: 1 kg bars carry the lowest premium per ounce, fractional coins and 1 g bars the highest.
- Metal: silver premiums are higher in percentage terms because production and freight costs are large relative to the metal's value.
- Product: Maple Leafs are made by the Royal Canadian Mint in Ottawa; imported coins have to be shipped in first.
- GST/HST: a 22 karat Krugerrand or Gold Eagle is generally taxable, so in Ontario the price includes 13% HST, which shows up as a much higher apparent premium. See GST/HST on gold.
- Demand: in a buying rush, premiums widen as stock runs short.
- Payment and delivery: card fees, insured shipping and minimum order sizes can add more than the quoted premium.
Compare the final delivered price
A low headline premium can hide a high shipping charge. Two dealers might list the same Maple Leaf at 4,200 and 4,180 CAD, but if the second charges 40 CAD for insured delivery and the first ships free, the first is cheaper. That is why metalsradar ranks by the real final price including delivery, then shows the premium against spot.
| What to check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Price per fine ounce | Removes the effect of alloy and coin size |
| Delivery cost to your postal code | Insured shipping to remote areas can cost more |
| GST/HST included or not | Only matters for items below the purity or form test |
| Buy-back price | Total cost of owning includes the bid-ask spread |
Start with the 1 oz Gold Maple Leaf price comparison, or scan all products in the cheapest gold coins in Canada and the cheapest silver coins. The dealers page shows who we compare. Premiums on collector releases are a different story; see numismatic coins.
Related terms
Spot Price Bid-Ask Spread Bullion GST/HST on Gold and Silver in Canada
FAQ
What is a good premium over spot for gold in Canada?
Large bars and 1 oz bullion coins carry the lowest premiums, so compare current offers in our ranking rather than relying on a fixed percentage.
Why is the premium on silver higher than on gold?
Making, storing and shipping silver costs about the same per coin as gold, but the metal is worth far less, so the cost is a bigger share of the price.
Do I get the premium back when I sell?
Usually only partly, since dealers buy back near or below spot; the premium is mostly a cost of entry.