1 oz gold bar: price, specifications and where to buy

The 1 oz bar sits at the point where gold bars stop being gifts and start being a practical way to hold gold. It is big enough that the maker's premium is a small share of the price, but small enough to sell one at a time. Below: what a 1 oz bar weighs and measures from the makers' own specifications, its live value, the prices we saw on real dealer pages, how cast and minted bars differ, and when a 1 oz coin may be the better choice.

What are the specifications of a 1 oz gold bar?

Every 1 oz bar contains the same amount of gold: one troy ounce, or 31.1035 g. What changes between makers is the shape, the finish and the packaging. Refiners publish these details on their own product pages; we list only what we could find there.

The Perth Mint gives maximum dimensions within its manufacturing tolerances and a minimum gross weight of 31.110 g. The Royal Mint does not publish thickness. For other refiners, see the brand pages for PAMP Suisse, Valcambi, the Perth Mint and the Royal Mint.

The two published shapes show how much 1 oz bars can differ. The Royal Mint's minted bar is a thin rectangle about the size of a domino. The Perth Mint's cast bar is a chunky block under 2 cm across. Both hold the same gold. Size and thickness matter mainly for checking authenticity: gold is so dense that a fake of the right weight usually has the wrong dimensions. How the 1 oz bar fits among other weights is covered in our gold bar sizes guide.

What is a 1 oz gold bar worth today?

A 1 oz bar's gold value equals the spot price, the live wholesale price of one troy ounce of gold.

Spot-based melt values, not dealer prices. Last updated: Loading.

What did 1 oz gold bars actually cost on 11 October 2026?

A premium is what you pay above the gold value. We read single-bar prices on dealers' own product pages on Sunday 11 October 2026, when the gold market was closed for the weekend.

Australian spot A$6,012.71 per oz; UK spot about £3,171 per oz. Premium = price / (fine oz x spot) - 1. US 1 oz bar prices from APMEX on the same day are on our PAMP Suisse page. Repeat checks: premium tracker.

Two things stand out. First, buying the same Perth Mint Swan bar from a dealer was slightly cheaper than buying it from the mint itself that day: Ainslie's price was A$29.15 lower. Second, the UK bar's premium was higher, partly because it was a certified bar from a named Swiss refiner bought singly. Prices change daily, so compare on the day you buy. For a shortlist of bars that tend to carry low premiums, see the best gold bars to buy.

What will a dealer pay you for a 1 oz bar?

On the same day, Hatton Garden Metals listed a buyback price of £3,035.53 for a 1 oz bar, 4.29% below gold value. Had you bought its Metalor bar at £3,328.74 and sold it straight back, you would have lost £293.21, about 8.8% of what you paid. That gap, the dealer spread, is the real cost of a round trip, and gold must rise by about that much before you break even with the same dealer.

Check 1 oz bars at the Perth Mint

Cast or minted: which 1 oz bar should you choose?

Cast bars are made by pouring molten gold into a mould. They have a slightly rough, rippled surface and stamped markings, and they are usually the cheapest bars per gram. Minted bars are cut from a rolled strip of gold and struck like coins. They have sharp edges and a polished design, and are often sealed in a card with an assay certificate (the refiner's statement of weight and purity). The Perth Mint figures show the price difference neatly: A$6,184.39 for the cast bar and A$6,214.39 for the minted Swan bar, a gap of half a percentage point. Our cast vs minted bars guide goes into the detail.

Is a 1 oz gold bar better than a 1 oz gold coin?

For UK buyers the tax point usually decides it. HMRC's Capital Gains Manual (CG78305) says Britannia gold coins and Sovereigns from 1837 onwards are sterling currency and exempt from Capital Gains Tax. A gold bar has no such status, so gains above the annual exempt amount are taxable. Since both are free of VAT, many UK buyers pay a slightly higher premium for a Britannia to avoid that tax. Elsewhere, bars and 99.99% coins are treated much the same for sales tax, and the choice comes down to premium, recognition and personal preference. Our gold coins vs gold bars guide covers all sizes.

Who is a 1 oz gold bar best for?

• Good fit: buyers who want a low premium without committing to a 100 g or kilo bar, and who may want to sell in stages.
• Good fit: US, Canadian and Australian buyers, where 99.99% bars are free of sales tax (federal sales tax in the US; state rules vary) and treated like coins for gains.
• Less ideal: UK buyers who expect gains above the annual exempt amount; a CGT-free coin may leave you better off.
• Less ideal: small budgets. At current prices one bar is a large sum, and smaller gram bars or fractional coins may fit better.

Where can you buy a 1 oz gold bar in each country?

We have only published prices for the dealers in our dated table above; inclusion here is not a ranking. Check the payment method too, because many dealers charge more for card payments than bank transfer.

How do you check and store a 1 oz gold bar?

1. Buy from an established dealer and keep the invoice; it helps when you sell.
2. Match the serial number on the bar with its card or certificate, and check any seal is intact.
3. Weigh and measure. Compare with the maker's published specifications, such as the Perth Mint's 31.110 g minimum gross weight.
4. Store it safely in its packaging, in a home safe or a professional vault, and check your insurance limit for valuables.

More tests are in how to tell if gold is real, and storage options are compared in our gold storage guide. Browse all gold bar guides for other weights and brands.

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.