For most buyers, the best gold bar to buy in 2026 is a 1 oz bar from a recognized refiner, or a random-brand 1 oz bar if the name doesn’t matter to you. The premium over the gold price falls steeply from gram bars up to 1 oz and only a little after that, so bigger bars save less than most people expect and are harder to sell in part. Over two years the random-brand bar's median premium fell from 31.6% at 1 gram to 13.0% at 5 g, 7.9% at 10 g and 2.7% at 1 oz; PAMP's Lady Fortuna ran from 43.4% to 4.1% across the same sizes.
Those numbers come from Bullion Trading LLC’s own price records: our check/wire price for each bar, recorded about four times a day since October 2024, compared with the value of its gold at that day’s spot price, the market price of the metal benchmarked by the LBMA Gold Price. They update as prices move.
| Key fact | Result |
|---|---|
| Spot gold | $3,978.64 (Ask) an ounce on 3 November 2026 |
| Cost per ounce of gold, by bar size | At today's prices, a random-brand 1 gram bar costs about $5,188 per ounce of gold inside it, against $4,091 for the 1 oz bar and $4,071 for the kilo. |
| Secondary-market bars | Over two years a secondary-market bar cost a median 7.3 points less than a new random-brand bar of the same size at 5 g, 2.5 at 10 g, 1.1 at 1 oz and 1.1 at 10 oz; at 5 oz the two were usually priced the same. |
What size gold bar should you buy?
Buy the largest bar you would be willing to sell in one piece. A refiner’s and dealer’s costs per bar barely change with its size, so on small bars that fixed cost is a large share of the price. The random-brand 1 gram bar shows it: its premium in dollars stayed the same from 8 November 2024 to October 2025 while gold rose from about $2,742 to $3,962, so its premium in percent fell from 38.5% to 28.9% with no price cut.
Over two years the random-brand 5 oz bar had a lower median premium (1.75%) than the 10 oz (2.85%), which cost about the same as the 1 oz (2.73%); the kilo was lowest at 1.70%. PAMP's 1 oz (4.11%) beat its own 50 g and 100 g bars (6.58% and 4.78%). A kilo bar holds 32.15 troy ounces, so it suits buyers who will never need to sell part of it. Gram sizes convert as follows:
| Bar | Fine gold, troy oz | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 1 gram | 0.0322 | Gifts; the highest premium per ounce |
| 5 grams | 0.1608 | Gifts and small savings |
| 10 grams | 0.3215 | Small savings |
| 1 oz | 1.0000 (31.1 g) | The standard size; easy to price and sell |
| 100 grams | 3.2151 | Larger purchases |
| 10 oz | 10.0000 | Larger purchases |
| 1 kilo | 32.1507 | The lowest premium; sold whole |
Does the brand of a gold bar matter?
Less than the size, as long as the refiner is recognized. Bars from refiners on the LBMA Good Delivery list, such as PAMP, Valcambi, Argor-Heraeus, Metalor, Rand Refinery and the Perth Mint, are accepted by dealers everywhere. Bullion Trading LLC research using two years of our own price records found that standard 1 oz bars from 9 brands had median premiums of 3.13% to 4.16% over the Ask since 28 October 2024, while the random-brand 1 oz bar had 2.73% and cost less than PAMP's Lady Fortuna on 477 of 506 trading days. Our gold bar brands comparison shows each brand day by day, and PAMP gold bars looks at the best-known name in detail.
Minted or cast, with or without an assay card?
Minted bars are struck from blanks like a coin, with sharp designs and polished faces, and usually come sealed in an assay card that carries the refiner’s certificate and the bar’s serial number. Cast bars are poured into molds and stamped, with a rougher, rounded look; they are common at 5 oz, 10 oz and kilo sizes. Both contain the stated weight of gold; the difference is finish, packaging and, sometimes, price.
Keep a bar in its assay card. A sealed bar with a matching serial number is quicker to verify when you sell, while a loose bar may have to be tested first; our guides to assay certificates and gold bar serial numbers explain what to check. Secondary-market bars, previously owned and sold at a discount, are a way to pay less if a worn card or a different design doesn’t bother you.
Gold bars or gold coins?
At 1 oz the two cost about the same. At 1 oz, government coins have not cost more than bars: a median 2.7% against 3.2% for 1 oz bars, and 2.1% against 3.3% on the latest day. Coins carry a government guarantee and are easier to recognize; bars become cheaper per ounce above 1 oz. See the best gold coins to buy for the coin side.
Buying gold bars: price, tax and delivery
Our listed prices are for check or bank wire; card and PayPal add 5% and go up to $7,500 an order. Most states exempt investment gold from sales tax, some only above a threshold; check yours on our bullion sales tax by state pages. Orders under $1,000 ship by USPS; from $1,000, FedEx home delivery is $10 and pickup at a FedEx location is free. In New York, check and wire orders can be collected at our 47th Street store.
Gold bars in stock
The large price is the check/wire price; the card/PayPal price is listed under it. Prices follow the live spot price.
Selling gold bars later
Bullion Trading LLC buys gold bars from recognized refiners. You can walk in to 20 West 47th Street with a government photo ID and no appointment, or send bars by insured mail, and you are paid by same-day check, wire or Zelle. See what we pay for gold bars today.
Frequently asked questions
Is a kilo gold bar a good buy?
It has the lowest premium per ounce in our records, but it has to be sold in one piece, which ties up more than $100,000 at recent prices. Several 1 oz or 10 oz bars cost a little more and let you sell part of a holding.
Are gram gold bars worth it?
As gifts, yes; as savings, they are expensive: the random-brand 1 gram bar's median premium was 31.6%, 12 times the 1 oz bar's 2.7%.
How can I tell if a gold bar is real?
Buy from a dealer you can verify, check the weight and dimensions against the refiner’s specifications, and keep the assay card sealed. Our guide on how to spot fake gold and silver compares nine tests.
Sources
- Bullion Trading LLC price records: check/wire prices recorded about four times a day since 28 October 2024 (historical-price plugin), generalized as median premiums by bar size and brand.
- LBMA, precious metal prices (LBMA Gold Price, to 28 September 2026), then 5 pm New York spot closes; Good Delivery List of accredited gold refiners.
- NIST, conversion factors (1 troy ounce = 31.1034768 g).