Perth Mint vs ABC Bullion: which is better?

These are the two biggest names in Australian bullion, and both refine the gold they sell. The difference is who stands behind them. One is a state-owned mint in East Perth, the other a private Sydney group that owns its refinery, its vaults and its shopfronts. That shapes how you pay, store and sell, more than the price of a single bar does.

How do the Perth Mint and ABC Bullion compare side by side?

Sources: each company's own policy pages, read 12 October 2026, and our reviews of The Perth Mint and ABC Bullion. Price from the GoldVetted automated price check, 12 October 2026, 07:51 UTC, spot A$5,987.36 from gold-api.com.

Who owns each one, and does it matter?

The Perth Mint is run by Gold Corporation (ABN 98 838 298 431), set up under the Gold Corporation Act 1987. Every page of its site says it is "wholly owned by the Government of Western Australia", and the Mint states that metal held in its storage programs is backed by a WA Government guarantee.

ABC Bullion is the trading name of Australian Bullion Company (NSW) Pty Ltd (ABN 82 002 858 602). It belongs to Pallion, a private group whose history goes back to 1951 and which merged with ABC Bullion in late 2014, according to Pallion. The same group owns ABC Refinery and Custodian Vaults, so the bar, the vault and the shopfront sit under one roof. Its storage page says holdings are insured through Lloyd's of London underwriters and checked by twice-yearly independent assurance reports.

What this means for you: a state guarantee and a private insurer plus auditor are two different kinds of protection. Neither makes gold a safe investment in itself, since the gold price can fall, but both are more than many small dealers offer. Our guide to allocated vs unallocated gold explains what you legally own in each case.

What gold products does each sell?

The Perth Mint sells its own Gold Kangaroo coins (99.99% gold, Australian legal tender), the Lunar series, minted bars such as the Swan and Kangaroo bars, and cast bars from 1oz to 1kg. It also sells collector coins and jewellery, which are priced as retail goods rather than by gold content.

ABC Bullion's core range is its own cast bars and Eureka minted tablets, made at ABC Refinery in Marrickville. That refinery is on the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) Good Delivery list for gold and silver, and is also accredited by the Shanghai Gold Exchange and CME. The practical point: ABC strongly favours its own products. Its storage costs more than double for other refiners' bars, and it promises "preferential pricing" when you sell its own bars back.

Which is cheaper: the Perth Mint or ABC Bullion?

Every bullion price is the spot price (the wholesale value of one troy ounce of pure gold) plus a premium for making, handling and margin. Our automated check read single-unit prices on Monday 12 October 2026 at 07:51 UTC, with spot at A$5,987.36.

GoldVetted automated price check, 12 October 2026, 07:51 UTC; spot from gold-api.com. Premium = price ÷ (fine ounces × spot) − 1. Delivery excluded. The day before (11 October, spot A$6,012.71), the Perth Mint cast bar was A$6,184.39 (2.86%). More results are in the Australia premium report.

So the honest answer is that we can show you the Perth Mint's price and a benchmark, but not ABC's. If ABC's 1oz cast bar works out at about 3% over spot on the day you buy, it is level with the cheapest seller we measured. Our premium calculator turns any quote into a percentage.

Two things move the real cost more than a few dollars of premium. First, bar size: the Perth Mint's 1 g Kangaroo minted bar was 23.29% over spot that morning, against 2.56% for the 100 g bar. Second, the Perth Mint's own minted Swan bar was dearer than the same bar at a dealer, so buying direct is not automatically cheapest.

Paying and delivery: which is easier?

The Perth Mint takes bank transfer, BPAY, telegraphic transfer and cards, but caps card payments for bullion at A$5,000. Card orders fall under a "Contract Completion Guarantee": settle within two days or the Mint may charge a A$150 administration fee plus any market loss. Delivery costs A$17.50 per kilo of packed weight, so one bar costs the A$17.50 minimum, and cover is an optional 1.1%. Click and Collect in East Perth is free.

ABC names PayID and BPAY as its preferred methods and will not accept cash deposited at a bank branch. Under A$8,000, delivery is a flat A$30 (A$130 Express) with optional 1% insurance. From A$8,000 it is A$100 for the first kilo plus A$15 per extra kilo, sent by hand-to-hand carrier with insurance included. Stored metal can be collected free from any ABC location.

Worked example: one 1oz bar at about A$6,170 with cover costs roughly A$85 to deliver from the Perth Mint (A$17.50 plus A$68) and A$92 from ABC (A$30 plus A$62). On a single bar, collecting in person saves more than any difference between the two.

Storage: Perth Mint Depository vs ABC vaults

Sources: The Perth Mint storage account fees page; ABC Bullion bullion storage page. ABC's own example: A$100,000 of ABC gold in Secure Storage costs A$550 a year. At the Perth Mint, allocated gold worth A$100,000 would cost about A$1,000 a year.

For named bars, ABC is clearly cheaper if you hold ABC-made gold. For unallocated metal, the Perth Mint charges no storage fee but takes a trading fee (0.95% each way on A$10,001 to A$100,000), which ABC's Pool Allocated product does not list in the same way. Self-managed super fund trustees can read about gold in an SMSF. We describe these options for information only.

Selling back: which buyback is more convenient?

The Perth Mint buys Perth Mint coins, current legal tender bullion coins, bars from most LBMA refiners and natural nuggets, but only in person at its East Perth trading room. You need an in-store account and photo ID, and payment reaches your bank after at least two business days. Its sell page does not describe a postal service.

ABC Bullion buys gold, silver and platinum bars, coins and minted tablets at its four showrooms with no appointment, by phone on 1300 361 261, and online around the clock for metal already in its storage, usually settling the same or next business day. There is no minimum sale. Its pages did not say whether other refiners' bars get the same price as its own. For most people outside Perth, ABC's buyback is the easier of the two.

What do customers say about each?

Neither company invites Trustpilot reviews, according to Trustpilot. The Perth Mint's Google rating includes visitors to its tour.

The complaints are similar on both sides: slow email replies, long phone holds and delivery delays. ABC's larger Trustpilot sample is mostly positive, often praising showroom staff. The Perth Mint's small sample is mostly negative. Keep your invoice and payment receipt whichever you use.

Has either had regulatory problems?

The Perth Mint has, and buyers researching it will find the reports. In 2022 AUSTRAC, Australia's financial intelligence regulator, ordered Gold Corporation to appoint an external auditor to examine its compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing law. In November 2023 AUSTRAC accepted an enforceable undertaking (a formal, binding promise to fix problems) from the Mint. AUSTRAC later reported that the final auditor's report in May 2025 found remediation complete, and it released the Mint from the undertaking. Separately, in March 2023 the ABC's Four Corners program (the national broadcaster, unrelated to ABC Bullion) reported that some kilo bars sold into China exceeded the Shanghai Gold Exchange's silver limit; the Mint said the bars always contained at least 99.99% gold. Our Perth Mint guide sets out the detail. We found no comparable regulatory action against ABC Bullion in the sources we reviewed.

Verdict: which should you choose?

Neither seller is the best choice for minted bars on price alone: in our checks the Perth Mint's own Swan bar was cheaper at Ainslie Bullion. If you want more options, the Bullion Now review and our list of the best places to buy gold in Australia cover other sellers, and Ainslie vs ABC Bullion sets ABC against an east coast dealer.

See Perth Mint prices See ABC Bullion prices

Gold prices go down as well as up. This comparison is general information, not financial advice.

Not financial advice. GoldVetted provides general information to help you compare options. It is not personal financial, tax or legal advice. Gold prices go down as well as up, and you may get back less than you pay. Check tax rules with the official source or a qualified adviser before you act.