Gold Bar Value Chart: From a Single Gram to a 400-Ounce Bar
$4,141.50 1 oz gold bar, melt value
10 oz bar $41,415 · 1 kilo bar $133,139
Gold spot $4,141.50/oz · updated
Quick answer: A one-ounce gold bar holds $4,141.50 of gold at today's spot price, a ten-ounce bar holds $41,415, a one-kilogram bar holds $133,139, and a full 400-ounce bank bar holds $1,656,600. Those are melt values, calculated from fine weight times the live price. What a bar costs to buy is higher, and the gap shrinks as the bar gets bigger.
Bar sizes and what each one holds
Gold bars come in a standard ladder of sizes. The table runs from a one-gram wafer to the bar that central banks and refiners move in bulk, and prices each at the live spot price using its fine gold weight.
| Bar | Troy oz | Grams | Melt value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 g | 0.0322 | 1.00 | $133.14 |
| 2.5 g | 0.0804 | 2.50 | $332.85 |
| 5 g | 0.1608 | 5.00 | $665.70 |
| 10 g | 0.3215 | 10.00 | $1,331.39 |
| ½ oz | 0.5000 | 15.55 | $2,070.54 |
| 1 oz | 1.0000 | 31.10 | $4,141.09 |
| 50 g | 1.6075 | 50.00 | $6,656.95 |
| 100 g | 3.2151 | 100.00 | $13,314 |
| 10 oz | 10.0000 | 311.03 | $41,411 |
| 1 kg | 32.1507 | 1,000.00 | $133,139 |
Two things make this table different from a coin chart. First, a bar has no legal-tender face value and no collector appeal in most cases, so the melt value is a much closer guide to what the bar is worth as metal. Second, bar weights are not all in the same unit. Small bars are sold by the gram, mid-size bars by the troy ounce, and large bars by the kilogram or the 400-ounce standard, so the table mixes units on purpose.
Which size does what
Think of the sizes as tools for different jobs.
Under 10 grams. These are gift and novelty sizes. A one-gram bar holds $133.02 of gold. They are the most expensive way to hold gold per gram, because the cost of making and packaging the bar is a large share of its value.
20 grams to 1 ounce. A 20 gram bar holds $2,660.38. This is the range where most people buying a first bar land, and where an ounce bar at $4,141.50 is easy to price against the coin equivalent.
10 ounces to 1 kilogram. Here a ten-ounce bar holds $41,415 and a kilogram holds $133,139. A 100 gram bar holds $13,301.92. Buyers of these sizes are generally paying a much smaller premium per ounce than for one-ounce products, but each unit is a bigger single holding, which makes it harder to sell a part.
400 ounces. The London Good Delivery bar weighs roughly 350 to 430 troy ounces, with 400 the usual figure, at a minimum purity of .995. At $1,656,600 it is a wholesale item. A 400-ounce bar weighs about 12.4 kilograms and is not something that gets handed across a counter.
Fine weight and the .9999 shorthand
A bar stamped .9999 is 99.99 percent gold, which is why the table's kilo bar is a hair under 1,000 grams of fine gold. A bar stamped .995 carries about half a percent of other metals. On a kilogram bar this difference is only a few grams, but at today's price it adds up, so always price from the stamped fineness rather than assuming 24 karat means exactly 100 percent. A .9999 kilogram bar is worth $133,139 in gold, and a .999 bar of the same weight is worth a little less, because the fine weight is a gram lower.
Cast bars and minted bars
There are two ways to make a bar, and they look different.
A cast bar is poured into a mold and cooled. The surface is slightly irregular, the stamping is simple, and the cost of production is low. Large bars are always cast. A minted (or struck) bar is cut from rolled gold sheet and stamped under pressure, so it is smooth, uniform and often sealed in an assay card. Minted bars cost more to make, which is one reason that a one-ounce minted bar tends to carry a higher premium than a one-ounce cast bar from the same refiner.
For melt value neither matters. For resale it can. A bar still sealed in its assay card is faster to sell than one that has been cut out and handled.
Why the premium falls as the bar gets bigger
Making a bar involves costs that do not scale with weight: the stamp, the packaging, the certificate, the inspection, the shipping and insurance of a parcel. A one-gram bar and a one-kilogram bar need the same sort of handling steps, so those costs are almost the same per piece. Divide a fixed cost over one gram and it dominates the price. Divide it over a thousand grams and it nearly disappears.
The pattern is dependable: the premium over melt, as a share of what you pay, falls as bar size rises. The reverse also holds. A small bar is the costliest way to buy gold per gram and the one you will lose the most on if you sell it back soon. This chart gives melt values only. We do not publish premium figures, because dealer premiums change daily and we cannot refresh a number we do not control. Get the figure from the dealer, in writing, before you agree to buy.
Counterfeits, tungsten and how to check a bar
Gold and tungsten have almost the same density, about 19.3 and 19.25 grams per cubic centimeter. That makes tungsten the classic counterfeit core: a bar can have the correct weight and size and still be mostly tungsten with a thin gold shell. A scale cannot catch it.
Practical checks, in rising order of cost:
- Buy bars from a refiner accredited on the London list, such as PAMP, Valcambi, Argor-Heraeus, Royal Canadian Mint or Perth Mint, in the sealed assay card that came with them.
- Compare serial numbers on the bar and on the card, and check dimensions against the maker's published specification.
- Use an ultrasonic or conductivity test, which many dealers run for a small fee, on any bar you did not buy sealed.
- For large or unfamiliar bars, have a refiner assay it. The tester drills or cuts the bar, so do this only when you are willing to sell it.
The same advice covers selling. A buyer who cannot verify your bar will pay less, or nothing, until it has been tested.
What this chart is and is not
The table is a melt value: the weight of gold in the bar times the live spot price. It is not a quote, an appraisal or an offer. It leaves out the premium, shipping, insurance, taxes and any dealer margin. It also cannot tell whether the bar in front of you is genuine, which is a question of the refiner, the assay card and testing. Use it as the reference point for the metal, then ask every dealer what they add or subtract from it.
Related pages
- Gold coin value chart for Eagles, Buffalos, Maple Leafs and Krugerrands
- Gold value by weight for grams, pennyweights and ounces side by side
- Gold value calculator for a bar weight not listed here
- Where to buy gold for premiums and the questions to ask a dealer
Gold bar value FAQ
How much is a one-ounce gold bar worth today?
Its melt value is $4,141.50 at the current spot price. What you pay to buy one will be higher by the dealer's premium, and what you are offered when selling will be at or below melt.
What does a kilogram of gold cost?
At spot, a one-kilogram bar of .9999 gold is worth $133,139. The cost to buy is that figure plus the premium, which per ounce is lower than for a one-ounce bar.
Why are small gold bars so expensive per gram?
Fixed costs of striking, packaging and certifying are spread over very little gold, so they take a big slice of the price. Small bars are the costliest per gram and larger bars the cheapest.
How heavy is a 400-ounce gold bar?
About 12.4 kilograms, or roughly 27 pounds. The weight can be 350 to 430 troy ounces, because a Good Delivery bar is defined by a range. At the nominal 400 ounces, its melt value is $1,656,600.
Can a gold bar be fake even if it weighs the right amount?
Yes. Tungsten has almost the same density as gold, so a plated tungsten bar can match the weight. Buying sealed from an accredited refiner and testing unsealed bars are the main defenses.
Is a bar or a coin better to own?
It depends on the purpose. Bars cost less over spot per ounce at larger sizes, while coins are easier to sell in small amounts and carry government weight and purity guarantees. The coin chart covers the other side.
Does a gold bar need an assay card?
Not to be gold, but a sealed card from a recognized refiner makes the bar much easier to resell, and it is a basic protection against counterfeits.
Data sources: Spot price via api.gold-api.com · COMEX futures (GC=F) via Yahoo Finance. Prices are for informational purposes only and may be delayed. Figures on this page were generated . Gold is quoted in US dollars per troy ounce.