Sunday, March 12, 2006

Gold Bars

There are, contrary to what many people think, more than one type of gold bar, over 30 different types of gold bars in fact. They range from the 400 troy ounce bars used by banks to the wafer thin fine gold bars of 1 gram made by Mitsubishi and used heavily in Japan.

A gold bar is generally defined as any gold item, regardless of shape, which means it does not even have to be in the shape of a bar, and which is made by a bar manufacturer, records the name of the manufacturer, the precise weight and the precise purity, and is sold at a low premium above the gold price. There are bars made by most countries in the world today. Most countries make, or have made gold bars of one sort of another. Also many shapes, not just the bar like shapes.

Here is a list of some of the gold bars available world wide.

'400' oz ('12.5' kg) bar
Kilobars
'Tezabi' Bars
Tael Bars
Baht Bars
Tola Bars
Chi Bars
Decorative Bars
'Hologram' Bars
'Rainbow' Bars
'Yin-Yang' Bars
'Koban' Bars
'Twin-Coin' Bar'
Gold Leaf' Bars
Fine Gold Cards
'Bone' Bar
'Gold Fillet' Bars
'Pendant' Bars
'Double Pendant' Bars
'Bank' Bars
'Commemorative' Bars
'Heart' Bars
'Kinebars™'
'Bullion Watch' Bars
'Fine Art' Bars
'Bas-Relief' Bar
Full-Colour' Bars
'Cartoon' Bars 'Minted 'Brick' Bars
'Model' Bars
The world's largest - and smallest - bars
Historical Rothschild Bars
Oldest Stamp
Oldest Assay Mark
Bullion Coins
Gold Nuggets
Gold-Bearing Ore
'Dore' Bars
'Garimpo' Dore

A description of the gold bars in this list can be found at: Gold Bars

Collecting gold bars is generally done more for investment purposes as distinct from gold coin collectors who may also collect for the aesthetic appeal of the coins.

Collecting gold bars does have an appeal however. Some can look quite striking and the cost ratio to the value of gold the bar contains is usually, for the most part, better than the purchase of gold coins.

There are no proof or uncirculated considerations to take into account and gold bars are transportable and saleable anywhere in the world.

Collecting gold bars, as well as an excellent possible investment for the future can also be fun and provide much interest to the collector.

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