Everyone has seen those long, rectangular gold bars in the movies. But did you ever wonder how much they weigh? It depends – there are now many different sizes of gold bars, and the big ones shown in films are just one of many.
The gold bars we see in the movies weigh 400 Troy ounces, which is about 27.4 pounds. These bars are known as Good Delivery bars. But gold bars come in many sizes and the standard trading size may vary depending on location.
Small Bars
1 Gram
The smallest gold bar weighs in at just one gram, or about the same weight as a paperclip. Minted with many different imprints, these bars can be collected, given as gifts, or purchased as a small gold investment. The starting price for these bars is $85.
2.5 Gram
Next, the 2.5-gram bar weighs about the same as an American penny. This small bar is worth about $145.
5 Gram
The 5-gram gold bar weighs the same as a grape or about 0.11 pounds.
10 Gram
About the same weight as a new number 2 pencil (the kind everyone uses in school), this bar is equal to 0.352 ounces.
20 Gram
The largest of the small gold bars, this one weighs as much as a double-A battery or 0.705 ounces.
Medium Bars
1 oz
This 1-ounce bar weighs 1 Troy ounce, which is 1.097 ounces, or 31.1 grams. This bar is about the same weight as a slice of bread.
50 Gram
About the weight of an egg, this bar is equal to 0.11 pounds.
100 Gram
100 grams of gold is equal to 0.1 kg, or 3.527 ounces, which is about the weight of a cell phone.
10 Ounce
About the weight of a grapefruit, this is the largest of the medium-sized bars. 10 Troy ounces is equal to 10.971 ounces, or 0.685 pounds.
Large Bars
1 Kilo
These gold bars weigh the same as 1 litre of water, or 2.204 pounds, and are worth over $59,700.
Good Delivery 400oz Bar
Finally, the big guy. This is the standard gold bar that is seen in many movies, and which many people think of when they think of gold bars. This big bar weighs about 400 Troy ounces or 27.428 pounds. This is the same as 438.857 ounces or 12.441 kilograms. By comparison, it weighs about the same as a mountain bike.
The actual weight of this bar may vary from 350 Troy ounces to 430 Troy ounces, with the buyer only paying for the actual weight of the bar. These are considered investment bars and are worth about $732,000.
The shape of these bars may be a little different, depending on where they are cast or minted, but they generally measure around 7 inches long by 3 5/8 inches wide by 1 ¾ inches tall.
These bars have a minimum of 0.995 parts pure gold, so the weight of the pure gold in a 400 Troy ounce bar would be a minimum of 398 Troy ounces.
Largest Gold Bar
The largest gold bar in the world is a 250-kilogram bar, which is about the weight of a large male lion, or two average refrigerators. This is about 551 pounds!
This bar was minted by the Mitsubishi Materials Corporation in 2005 and is on display in Japan at the Toi Gold Museum in the city of Izu, Shizuoka. It measures 17.9 inches by 8.9 inches by 6.7 inches and has held the Guinness World Record for the largest gold bar since 2005.
Worth about 12 million US dollars, the bar isn’t available for sale but can be viewed at the Gold Museum.
Cast or Minted
Gold bars come in both cast and minted forms, with the cast bars being slightly irregular but more commonly purchased by investors, as they may be slightly cheaper. The cast bars are made by pouring gold into a mold.
Minted gold bars are nicer looking and a more popular buying option. These bars are made by cutting long bars of gold into the correct size and shape.
All gold bars are stamped with their weight and purity. Gold purity ranges from 0.995 parts pure gold to 0.999 parts pure gold.
Standard Measures
The Good Delivery gold bar has long been the standard gold bar for trading in the past few centuries, but some countries prefer to trade in different sizes of bars.
In China, the standard is the 1 kg gold bar and is one of the most widely traded gold bars worldwide.
India prefers to trade in a Tola bar, which weighs 3.75 ounces.
In Thailand, 10 Baht gold bars are the most common and are equal to 152.44 grams.
So, how much does a gold bar weigh?
As you can see, gold bars come in a variety of weights, sizes, and shapes. If you’re interested in purchasing gold, it’s important to know what type of gold bar you are interested in, as their weight and value vary widely.
