A 1-ounce gold bar is one of the most popular and accessible forms of physical gold investment. It offers a convenient balance between affordability, liquidity, and long-term value, and it’s an alternative format to 1-ounce coins.
What is a 1-ounce gold bar?
A 1-ounce (1 oz) gold bar weighs 1 troy ounce (31.1035 grams).
Most 1 oz gold bars are made of 99.99% pure gold (.9999 fine). The bars are usually inscribed with 999.9, the refiner’s name or logo, and a unique serial number. These markings help ensure authenticity and make verification easier when buying or selling.
Dimensions are typically around 40–45 mm long, 20–25 mm wide, and 2–3 mm thick, depending on the mint.
Why 1 oz gold bars are popular
While 1 oz gold coins that are produced by famous mints are better known, many investors prefer the bar format.
The 1 oz size strikes a sweet spot in being small enough to be affordable for most investors, yet large enough to carry relatively low premiums over the spot price of gold.
Their compact size makes the ounce bar easy to stack, conceal, and transport discreetly.
Pricing and market value
One ounce serves as the global standard unit of gold pricing, so it’s easy to calculate the value of a 1 oz bar.
The price of a 1 oz gold bar is based on the current spot price of gold, plus a small dealer premium to cover fabrication, handling, and distribution. Premiums vary depending on brand reputation, packaging, and demand. Premiums usually range from 2% to 6% above spot.
Famous brands and refiners
Here are some of the most reputable refiners producing 1 oz gold bars.
1 oz Metalor Swiss Gold Bullion Bar
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Manufacturer: Metalor
Country: Switzerland
Size: 41 mm x 24 mm x 1.71 mm
Purity: 99.99%
1 oz Gold bar minted in .9999 purity. Metalor is an international Swiss-based company and is one of the leading suppliers of precious metals in the world.
Buy: 1 oz Metalor Swiss Gold Bullion Bar
1 oz Argor-Heraeus Swiss Gold Bullion Bar
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Manufacturer: Argor-Heraeus
Country: Switzerland
Size: 41 mm x 24 mm x 2 mm
Purity: 99.99%
This 1 oz minted gold bar is fabricated by one of Switzerland’s most prestigious precious metals refiners. Each 1 oz minted gold bar has a rectangular design, curved edges and a highly polished finish, and it comes presented in its own PET transparent tamper-proof blister pack which doubles as the bar’s assay card.
The front of the 1 oz gold bar is embossed with the famous Argor-Heraeus refinery stamp which consists of an ‘AH’ motif encircled by the words ‘ARGOR HERAEUS SA’, The front surface also contains the refinery location ‘Switzerland’, the bar’s weight and fine gold content, ‘1 ounce Fine Gold 999.9’, and the bar’s unique serial number and Assay stamp.
Buy: 1 oz Argor-Heraeus Swiss Gold Bullion Bar
1 oz Argor-Heraeus Kinebar Gold Bullion Bar
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Manufacturer: Argor-Heraeus
Country: Switzerland
Size: 40.4 mm x 23.3 mm x 1.8 mm
Purity: 99.99%
1 oz Argor-Heraeus Kinebars have a gold fineness of 0.9999 and are presented in a secure transparent blister pack which also doubles as the bar’s assay certificate.
Argor-Heraeus gold Kinebars derive their name from the fact that the reverse surface of the bar hosts a light diffracting Kinegram optical security design.
The front of the 1 ounce Kinebar gold bar is stamped with the Argor Heraeus refiner stamp ‘AH’, the words ‘Switzerland’, the bar’s weight and fine gold content and a unique serial number.
The reverse of the bar features colourful Kinegram hologram imagery and also shows the letters AH and the refiner name Argor-Heraeus.
Buy: 1 oz Argor-Heraeus Kinebar Gold Bullion Bar
1 oz PAMP Swiss Gold Bullion Bar – Lady Fortuna Design
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Manufacturer: PAMP
Country: Switzerland
Size: 41 mm x 24 mm x 1.71 mm
Purity: 99.99%
This Swiss minted 1 troy ounce (31.1 grams) gold bar is 99.99% pure gold and is fabricated by the world-renowned PAMP gold refinery in Ticino, Switzerland.
The front of the 1 oz PAMP gold bar features a representation of Lady Fortuna, the Roman goddess of good fortune.
The reverse of the 1 oz PAMP minted gold bar displays PAMP’s famous logo of 4 circles, the bar’s weight and purity “SUISSE 1 OUNCE FINE GOLD 999.9”, and the official Swiss stamp of authenticity “Essayeur Fondeur”. Each 1 oz PAMP gold bar comes presented in its own distinctive security CertiPAMP packaging which also doubles as the gold bar’s assay card.
Buy: 1 oz PAMP Swiss Gold Bullion Bar – Lady Fortuna Design
1 oz United Kingdom Britannia Gold Bullion Bar
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Manufacturer: The Royal Mint
Country: United Kingdom
Size: 49.8 mm x 28.8 mm x 1.6 mm
Purity: 99.99%
The 1 oz Gold Britannia bar minted is by The Royal Mint in the United Kingdom. The bar is minted in .9999 purity, and each 1 oz Gold Britannia bar comes sealed in Certiline packaging, guaranteeing the gold bar’s authenticity in terms of purity and weight.
The Britannia gold minted bars carry 3 security features:
– Micro-text around the edge of Britannia’s shield spells out the words ‘DECUS ET TUTAMEN’, which translates to ‘an ornament and a safeguard’.
– Textured animation creates a wave motion behind Britannia when the bar is moved.
– A latent image switches between a trident and a padlock when the bar is rotated.
Buy: 1 oz United Kingdom Britannia Gold Bullion Bar
1 oz Perth Mint Gold Bullion Bar
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Manufacturer: The Perth Mint
Country: Australia
Size: 41 mm x 24 mm x 1.71 mm
Purity: 99.99%
The 1 oz Perth Mint gold bar is sealed in a tamper-proof assay card with a unique serial number and the signature of the chief assayer at the back.
Repeating kangaroo motifs decorate the back of the gold bar symbolising the great Australian Outback where gold has been mined for more than a century.
Buy: 1 oz Perth Mint Gold Bullion Bar
1 oz Perth Mint Cast Gold Bullion Bar – Square Button Design
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Manufacturer: The Perth Mint
Country: Australia
Purity: 99.99%
1 oz Perth Mint gold cast bar minted in a square button design.
The front of the bar features the Perth Mint’s old corporate logo of a majestic Swan.
The back of the bar features the name of the mint, the purity and weight of the bar.
Buy: 1 oz Perth Mint Cast Gold Bullion Bar – Square Button Design
1 oz Royal Canadian Mint Gold Bullion Bar
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Manufacturer: Royal Canadian Mint
Country: Canada
Size: 50 mm x 29 mm x 1.5 mm
Purity: 99.99%
The Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) is a world-renowned institution known for its exceptional quality, craftsmanship, and security features. The bar is minted by the same refinery that manufactures the popular 1 oz Canadian Gold Maple Leaf.
Each 1 oz gold bullion bar contains a minimum of .9999 gold and contains precision-engraved radial lines and a unique serial number for authenticity.
Each Royal Canadian Mint Gold Bullion Bar comes delivered in an assay card which acts as both a certificate of authenticity and a tamper-evident security measure, officially verifying the bar’s weight and purity as certified by the Royal Canadian Mint.
Buy: 1 oz Royal Canadian Mint Gold Bullion Bar
Storage and Security
1 oz gold bars are small enough to be stored at home, but this becomes a financial risk if you don’t have a secure home safe.
If you are stacking gold bars and don’t have a secure home location, then consider professional vaulting services for offsite storage. BFI Bullion provide secure insured storage in Switzerland.
Why the 1 oz gold bar is the sweet spot for flexibility and value
A 1 oz gold bar offers an ideal entry point into the world of precious metals. Whether purchased for wealth preservation or inflation protection, 1 oz gold bars remain one of the most practical and reliable forms of physical gold ownership.
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