5oz Silver Bar

A 5oz silver bar contains 5 troy ounces of fine silver, which is 155.52 g. It sits between a single ounce and the heavier 250g and 500g bars, so it is a common choice for buyers who want a lower margin than coins without tying up a large sum in one piece. The table above compares live offers from UK dealers that sell this bar.

Key facts about the 5oz silver bar

• Weight: 5 troy ounces (155.52 g) of silver.
• Purity: .999 fine silver, the usual standard for investment bars in the UK.
• Type: cast or minted. Cast bars are poured into a mould and have a rougher finish, minted bars are cut and pressed with sharp edges.
• Brands: the dealers in the table may ship different refiners. The listing is for a standard 5oz bar, not a specific brand.

Looking for a nearby size? Compare it with the 100g silver bar and the 250g silver bar, or browse all silver bars.

Who is a 5 oz silver bar for?

• First time silver buyers who want something more efficient than coins.
• Regular savers who add one bar at a time, for example every month.
• Anyone who wants a holding they can sell in small parts later.

Why not buy one big bar instead? A pile of 5oz bars lets you sell one or two when you need cash, and keep the rest.

What to check before you buy

• Premium over spot. Compare the dealer price with the silver price per gram. Small bars carry a higher margin per ounce than large ones, so the gap between dealers matters.
• Delivery cost. On a single small bar, postage and insurance can make up a big share of the total. Check the free delivery threshold.
• Cast or minted. Minted bars often come sealed with a certificate, cast bars are usually cheaper to make. Both contain the same silver.
• Authenticity. Buy from known dealers and keep the invoice. Check the stamp, weight and size, and read our guide on how to spot fakes.
• Buy-back. Ask what the dealer pays when you sell back.

VAT and Capital Gains Tax on silver bars in the UK

• VAT: silver bars delivered in the UK carry VAT at the standard rate of 20%. Unlike investment gold, silver has no VAT exemption. Some dealers offer VAT free purchase only for bars held in a bonded or overseas vault.
• Capital Gains Tax: a silver bar is not legal tender, so a gain on sale can be subject to CGT above your annual allowance. The rules for bars are covered on our page about capital gains tax on gold.

UK legal tender coins such as the 1 oz Britannia silver coin are CGT free but cost more per ounce. Which matters more to you, the lower margin of a bar or the tax treatment of a coin?

5oz bar or other options?

• 1 oz coins: highest margin per ounce, CGT free if they are UK legal tender. See the cheapest silver coins right now.
• 5oz bar: a middle ground between margin and flexibility.
• 250g, 500g and 1kg bars: lower margin per ounce, larger single items to sell.

Terms like spot price, premium and fineness are explained in the glossary.