Gold Bullion Bars

gold bullion bars

Gold bar sizes: VARIABLE
Popular Gold Refineries: PAMP, Credit Suisse, Johnson Matthey, Metalor etc.
(1 oz. PAMP Fortuna gold bar shown above left)
Fineness: VARIABLE (.995 to .9999 is common)

Gold bars are produced in a wide variety of sizes, shape, and fineness, most of them destined for one-way transit to manufacturing end-users who intend to refabricate the gold into other forms such as industrial/electronic plating or decorative applications. Most gold bars are not intended for use as investment products (i.e., recirculated on the secondary public market) primarily because their authentic weight and purity both fall into question owing to the ease of tamperability once the bars have traveled outside of the original commercial chain of custody. However, one very notable exception to the use of gold bars for investment and financial purposes is with regard to the large (350-430 oz.) London Good Delivery bars that are maintained with a reliable chain of custody within the confines of an international network of central bank reserves and commercial bullion banking vaults. For the individual investor who demands more flexibility with regard to both portability and liquidity, gold coins fit the bill perfectly and are by far the most popular form of gold ownership.