Category: Gold Bars

Gold bars are blocks of at least 99.5% pure gold produced specifically for investment purposes. Also known as gold ingots or gold bullion, gold bars are produced by both private and sovereign mints and governed by specific standards regarding purity, shape, and weight. These standards assure investors that they’re purchasing an authentic, investment-grade product. 

You can buy gold bars in various weights, from smaller 1 oz gold bars up to 1kg bars, making them suitable for investment budgets and strategies of all types. Smaller gold bars are minted using heavy machinery, which gives them a more polished and refined appearance. Larger bars are usually cast by pouring molten gold into molds, giving them a rougher and less polished appearance. 

If you’re looking to purchase gold bars, you’re making a sound investment that follows in the footsteps of central banks all over the world. After all, there’s no better store of wealth than the enduring value of pure gold. 

Why buy gold bars? 

There are two main ways to invest in physical gold: buying gold bars and purchasing gold bullion coins. So why choose to buy gold bars in particular?

• Lower premiums: Gold bars usually carry lower premiums over the spot price of gold compared to gold coins and jewelry. This means that the same amount of money will buy you more gold per ounce. 
• Easy storage: The uniform shape and size of gold bars makes them easy to stack and store away when compared to gold coins. 
• Better for bulk investments: Investors wanting to purchase bulk amounts of gold are better off buying gold bars. Instead of investing in several coins, you can buy one large bar in a single purchase. 

Benefits of investing in gold 

Investors buy gold to diversify their portfolios, safeguard their wealth, and enjoy a degree of financial security and protection during turbulent times. Let’s look at the benefits of investing in physical gold: 

• Diversify portfolio: Gold moves in opposition to traditional financial markets, making it an excellent portfolio diversifier. When investments, like stocks and bonds, fall, the price of gold tends to rise. Investors who add gold bars to their portfolios can benefit from a buffer against volatile markets and reduce overall risk. 
• Safeguard wealth: Gold is a wealth preserver that’s known to maintain its purchasing power, unlike paper currencies which can lose value over time. As a scarce metal with intrinsic value from its gold content, gold can safeguard your wealth and protect your financial legacy across generations. 
• Financial security: People throughout the ages have turned to gold during periods of political and economic instability, lending it the legacy of being a ‘safe haven asset’. Investing in gold can provide you with financial security during difficult times, whether it’s a falling economy or geopolitical tensions. 
• Liquidity: Whether you invest in gold bars, gold coins, or gold jewelry, you’ll never struggle to sell your gold investments. Physical gold is highly liquid and can easily be bought and sold no matter where you are in the world. 
• Inflation hedge: Physical gold is known to be a hedge against inflation, capable of maintaining its value – and even increasing in value – during periods of high inflation. This can help you maintain your purchasing power, even when the cost of living increases.  

Best gold bars to buy 

When buying gold bars online, it’s important to choose from prestigious, well-known mints that guarantee purity, quality, and authenticity. This offers the highest value and security, protecting your investment and ensuring ease of resale in the future. Below, we look at the best mints and refineries producing high-quality gold bars. 

PAMP Suisse gold bars

PAMP Suisse is a Swiss precious metals refinery and amongst the most well-respected mints in the world, manufacturing high-quality gold bars with 999.9 purity. You can buy PAMP Suisse gold bars in a range of sizes, from 1 oz up to 1kg, making them suitable for a wide range of budgets and investment types. PAMP Suisse’s Lady Fortuna gold bar is probably the most widely-traded gold bar internationally, but the mint produces various types of gold bars. 

Multigram bars feature multiple 1g gold bars that can easily be divided into smaller pieces, offering a more flexible investment and higher liquidity. For a fun and innovative gold investment, consider the PAMP Suisse PEZ dispenser, a collection of 6 x 5g gold bars encased in the iconic candy dispenser. PAMP Suisse also produces a Lunar Legends series featuring animals of the Chinese zodiac. Best known of all, however, is the iconic Lady Fortuna design, featuring the daughter of Jupiter and Roman goddess of luck and good fortune. 

Each PAMP Suisse gold bar comes in assay packaging with a tamper-evident seal and unique serial number for authenticity and security. 

Argos Heraeus gold bars

Argor-Heraeus is one of the world’s largest precious metal refineries, known for producing high-quality gold bars with 999.9 purity. Argos-Heraeus bars are manufactured in Switzerland and both cast and minted, depending on size. You can buy a small 1 oz Argor-Heraeus gold bar all the way up to 1kg, making them a top choice for investors with small budgets as well as those looking to buy bulk amounts of investment-grade gold. 

Argos-Heraeus gold bars are usually packaged inside an assay card capsule for added protection. The mint is known for producing the Kinebar, a minted gold bar that includes refractive security and design for added protection, as well as limited edition Chinese zodiac bars imprinted with intricate designs featuring the year’s zodiac animal. They also produce Goldseed bars containing 10 x 1g gold bars that can easily be sold off in fractions when needed. 

Valcambi gold bars

Valcambi is the largest precious metals refinery in the world with a strong reputation in the international gold investment market. They manufacture a huge range of mint and cast gold bars in different sizes, from smaller gold bars of 1 oz up to 1kg gold bars. Valcambi also produces Credit Suisse gold bars. 

Gold bars produced by Valcambi are high-quality and made from 999.9 pure gold with simple designs that feature the Valcambi logo. The refinery is known for its patented CombiBar® series which features collections of 1g gold bars, e.g. 10 x 1g or 100 x 1g gold bars. This allows investors to buy large amounts of gold and then easily sell off small portions when needed, providing a more flexible and liquid investment. 

Gold bars from government mints

Several sovereign mints also produce high-quality gold bars that are renowned in the precious metals industry. We recommend the Perth Mint gold bar as well as those produced by the Royal Canadian Mint. 

Things to consider when buying gold bars

Before you buy gold bars online, take the following into consideration. This will ensure you purchase a gold bar that’s authentic, valuable, and allows you to benefit from owning physical gold while reducing risk. 

• Purity: To be considered investment-grade, gold bars must be 99.5% purity or higher. We recommend purchasing 999.9 pure gold bars from the mints we’ve mentioned in this article. 
• Weight: When buying gold bars, it’s worth considering its weight and the liquidity that provides. Larger gold bars, for example, may be more cost-effective when buying in bulk but less liquid as you’d have to sell the entire bar. Depending on your investment goals, you may want to purchase several smaller gold bars or opt for a CombiBar®, Goldseed bar, or Multigram bar.
• Manufacturer: You may find a gold bar at a good price from a relatively unknown manufacturer, however you’re better off buying from a reputable and well-known mint that guarantees authenticity and quality of your investment. The gold bar products we mentioned in this article have an internationally recognized reputation, offering reliable, high-quality products that are easier to sell in the future. 
• Certification: All gold bullion bars should come with certification of authenticity. Be sure to protect that certification as it will be needed when it’s time to sell your gold in the future. 
• Packaging: Reputable manufacturers and precious metals dealers will take care to protect your investment with tamper-evident packaging or other security measures to keep it safe while being shipped to your home. Our advice is to keep your gold bar in its packaging to preserve its resale value. 
• Cost: Ultimately, a gold bar’s price will depend on its weight, purity, and manufacturer, as well as the current gold spot price. Gold dealers will sometimes add a premium to their products, so it’s always worth comparing prices from different sources. Use Metals Radar’s comparison engine to search for the lowest gold bar prices from the best precious metals dealers online. 

Buy gold bars in the United States, U.S.A

The world’s central banks preserve their wealth with gold bars, so why shouldn’t you? If you’re ready to invest in the enduring value and timelessness of gold, we can help you make the most of your money. Metals Radar’s comparison tool searches the most trusted precious metals dealers to find you the lowest gold bar prices today. Because if you can’t tell the difference, why pay more?