Purchasing a gold bar is another opportunity to invest your money in order to receive additional profit. In this case, a measured gold bar of a certain weight is purchased, which can be stored both at home and in the bank itself. Let us immediately note that this type of investment is attractive only in a fairly long term, since the price of gold can go both up and down in the short term, but in the long term it still grows. In addition, the profitability is affected by the difference in the cost of buying and selling bullion at the bank (the purchase price is always less than the sale price).

Technology for the production of gold bars

Gold bars can be produced either by casting or stamping, depending on their weight. Stamping usually produces ingots weighing up to 500 grams, and casting - over 500 grams. In terms of cost, the stamped method is more expensive, but at the same time, due to the fact that the products themselves are smaller and, accordingly, the price of the entire product is lower, ingots of this type of production are more liquid.

When it comes to palladium or platinum bars, stamping is the only method of producing them, while silver and gold bars can be produced by both casting and stamping.

There is another method of producing bars - electrolytic from gold powder, but this method is prohibited by Russian standards and it is extremely rare to find bars of such production in banks.

What types of gold bars are there?

There are two types of gold bars - measured and standard.

Measured ingots - domestically produced ingots with a metal content of 99.99%, marked by the manufacturer, weighing up to 1000 grams. Such bars are available to individuals for purchase in banks. With each such bullion, a certificate is issued, which is better not to lose or spoil, since in this case the price for purchasing the bullion by the bank will be much lower. They are manufactured in accordance with GOST R 51572-2000 and must meet the following requirements:

on the front side there must be: the inscription in the oval “Russia”, the nominal weight in grams, the name of the metal (in this case - gold), the share of metal by weight in the ingot, the trademark of the manufacturing plant, the number (for ingots weighing more than 50 grams ).

the deviation of the mass and size of the sides should not exceed the established norm;

there should be no cracks, delaminations, fat deposits, or foreign inclusions on the surface;

the reverse side of the ingot may be concave, which is explained by metal shrinkage;

inscriptions on the surface must be clear, without corrections or merging of numbers or letters in the markings;

To designate the type of ingot production, certain abbreviations are used: SShZ - for stamped and SLZ - for cast.

The picture below shows the front side of a gold bar

The requirements for standard gold bars are established by interstate standards GOST 28058-89:

the following inscriptions must be present on the large base: grade and number of the metal, fineness, weight of the ingot, manufacturer's symbols, year of manufacture, trademark of the refinery.

Its weight can range from 11 to 13.3 kg;

must have a regular shape with strictly defined dimensions of the sides of a truncated pyramid and a certain height;

the amount of impurities must correspond to the maximum limits for their content;

should not have grease stains, plaque, burrs, sagging or foreign inclusions;

stripped fields may be present, but the depth cannot be more than 1 mm;

there may be a concavity of up to 5 mm on the back surface due to metal shrinkage;

What affects the price of a gold bar

The price of gold bars is not a fixed value, but can change over time, which makes it possible to make money on it. But in addition to the price on the stock exchange, which changes under the influence of a bunch of factors, the following reasons can also affect the price of the bullion:

added value - additional expenses incurred by the seller before selling the bullion. Includes manufacturing costs, delivery costs, insurance and stock deductions, markup from the financial institution itself;

refining - a gold bar always bears the mark of the manufacturer, which, as a brand, can increase or decrease its value. The most popular manufacturing plants are Standard Bank, Credit Suisse, Valcambi, Degussa, Umicore, Commerzbank, Argor Heraeus;

manufacturing technology - as already described earlier, the production of stamped ingots is more expensive than cast ingots, and accordingly, their price will be higher;

availability of a certificate of conformity - when purchasing an ingot, the buyer is issued a certificate of conformity. you cannot lose it or spoil it, otherwise the cost of purchasing such an ingot by a bank will drop significantly;

packaging of the ingot - if the ingot was packaged, then if its integrity is violated, the price of the ingot upon resale will fall;

weight denomination - the greater the weight of the ingot, the lower the price per gram. As an example, we present the following table, which shows the prices of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation for gold bars depending on its weight:

Weight rating	Ingot price, rub.	Price per 1 gram, rub.
1 gram	2,087.00	2,087.00
5 grams	9,606.00	1,921.20
10 grams	19,063.00	1,906.30
20 grams	37,831.00	1,891.55
50 grams	93,987.00	1,879.74
100g	187,148.00	1,871.48
250 grams	466,749.00	1,867.00
500 grams	932,554.00	1,865.11
1000 grams	1,864,046.00	1,864.05
standard ingot		1,863.90

condition of the ingot - if the ingot has damage, inclusions and other irregularities, then the price of the ingot will also be lower than the standard price.

Let us also remind you that the purchase price of a gold bar by a bank is lower than the sale price, so rest assured that you will only lose money by buying/selling a gold bar at the same bank.

Pros and cons of investing in gold bars

Since the portal site is a banking portal, therefore in this article we will describe only the pros and cons of investing in gold bars compared to regular deposits, without paying attention to other investment products.

The main advantage of such an investment is, of course, its high profitability in the long term. I would like to put special emphasis on the word “long-term”, since it is quite difficult to get income from a gold bar in a short period of time, and the probability of making a loss is much greater than making a profit. This is due to the fact that, firstly, the dollar exchange rate can either rise or fall, but in the long term its trend nevertheless becomes positive. Secondly, the bank has a range of sales and purchases of gold bars, which depends on the price of gold in the Central Bank. As usual, the purchase price is always lower than the sale price.

Now about the cons. The main disadvantage of gold bars is that if you have a strong desire to take the bar with you, then you will be forced to pay 18% VAT on top of the cost of the bar itself. Therefore, most often they are left for safekeeping in a bank. On the other hand, if you leave it in a bank, the financial institution will charge you a fee for storing it. This amount does not depend on the size of the ingot, so to reduce storage costs it is recommended to take ingots with the largest possible weight.

In addition, when selling an ingot you will also have to pay personal income tax equal to 13% of the sale price minus the purchase price. Only persons who have owned this bullion for more than three years are exempt from paying this tax.

Where can you buy gold bars

We conducted a small analysis of the gold deposit banks' offers and present it to you. The table opposite the financial institution and the corresponding column indicate how the deposit can be made - into an impersonal metal account, coins or bars.

Bank	Coins	Ingots	Compulsory medical insurance
Avangard battery
AK BARS BANK
AKB Absolut Bank
Bank Zenith
Bank of Moscow
Project Finance Bank
VTB 24
EUROTRAST, KB
Master Bank
MDM-Bank
NOMOS-BANK
OPENING, IB

Investing in gold has always been a profitable investment. This material does not depreciate, does not deteriorate, and can be stored for a long time. It is not surprising that many are trying to invest in this type of investment.

Before purchasing a gold bar, you need to familiarize yourself with the rules established for banking circulation of precious metals, clarify how much a standard gold bar weighs, and other norms adopted in this sector. There are several types of gold bars. In addition, there are differences in the method of making bank bullion.

Types of bars made of precious metals

Experts distinguish between 2 types of ingots - measured, standard. The second option is used by professionals in production and in government banking operations. In small banking transactions, the measured type of bars is used. According to the manufacturing method, gold bars are divided into:

• stamped;
• cast;
• manufactured using powder technology.

Ingots produced by the stamping process are most often shown at public presentations. They have a beautiful and shiny appearance and have become a symbol of banking gold for the whole world. A photo of a gold bar is shown below.

Photo of a stamped gold bar

Jewelry and banking workers use various alloys of precious metals. The quality of gold is determined by the presence of base metal relative to impurities. The sample indicates the % content of gold itself and its auxiliary component. Sample 585 contains 58.5% base metal and 41.5% impurity. These types of alloys are used by jewelers. This classification is accepted in Russia and the CIS countries.

Gold of 999.9 purity is used in banking transactions. In the international classification this corresponds to sample 24. This means that such products do not contain foreign impurities.

The state controls the mass of a gold bar, its cost, and compliance with quality standards. In international transactions, rules are established that are approved by the London Bullion Market Association and the London Platinum and Palladium Market. For international transactions, the accepted weight unit is the troy ounce. In Russia, the mass of gold is measured in grams.

The regulator of the circulation of precious metals in banking operations in our country is the Central Bank of the Russian Federation. It is he who determines how much a 1 kg gold bar or other weight costs in Russia. The price is formed taking into account international transactions, the level of the economy, and inflation.

Weight and marking of gold bars

Most often, the population purchases measured gold bars. The established mass of such bricks does not exceed 1000 grams. The largest weight of a bar sold to the public is 500 grams. The smaller the weight of one copy, the more expensive it will cost the buyer per 1 gram. The minimum weight of 1 gold bar is 1 gram. The release form is usually rectangular, but other options are possible. If desired, the manufacturer produces plates of the ordered shape, up to round. The weight of measuring bars is 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 250, 500 grams.

For bars type "Standard" the shape of a truncated pyramid is adopted. The weight of a gold bar in this category ranges from 1000 g to 13.3 kg.

The dimensions of a standard bar are strictly regulated and deviations from the norm are not allowed

Standard ingots should be free of stains, foreign inclusions, sagging, and burrs.

The Central Bank has determined the following standards for bullion of precious metals:

• length;
• width;
• no damage (chips, stains, scratches);
• presence of markings.

Each plate weight has its own parameters. The domestic standard for bank gold does not take into account the thickness of the bar (for measured gold). The information about the ingot is printed on the front side. The marking must indicate information about weight, sample, bar number, name of the precious metal, production date, and information about the manufacturer. The latest information is printed on the oval of the ingot. If the mass of the bar is less than 50 g, then the ingot number is printed on the reverse side. Marking " Nv" means that the manufacturing plant is in Novosibirsk, “ Ek"– Ekaterinburg manufacturer, “ Kr"- Krasnoyarsk plant. Gold bars may have a concave or wavy surface on the reverse side. This is due to the shrinkage of the metal during storage.

The manufacturing method is indicated on the block - SLZ(cast gold bar), SSHZ(stamped). Powder-made plates are extremely rare. The technology for making such bars is a complex process (an ingot is melted from precious metal powder using the electrolytic method). Powdered bars are the cheapest, stamped bars are the most expensive.

Cost of bank gold

Purchasing gold bars is easy and affordable for the population. The largest provider of such services is Sberbank of Russia. This institution has one of the fairest prices for such operations.

Cost of 1 gram of gold (price dynamics on the Yandex website)

The cost of precious metals is determined by the bank itself, based on data from the Central Bank. The latter focuses on international indicators established in the global banking sector. The price of a gold bar can change 2 times during the day.

To operate in the precious metals market, the bank must have the appropriate license. The first owner of such a document was Sberbank of Russia. It holds leadership in this area of ​​banking operations. In branches located in all regions of the country, you can buy gold bullion from Sberbank without delay and at an affordable price.

When purchasing a precious stone, you should remember that each copy must have a certificate from the manufacturer. The bank is obliged to issue it to the consumer upon sale. If necessary, you can leave a gold deposit for safekeeping in a safe deposit box.

By finding out information about the sale of precious metals and clarifying how much a 1 kg 999 gold bar or other mass costs in Sberbank, you can make a profitable investment. Such an operation is designed for the long term and will bear fruit.

Gold bars produced in our country have a purity of at least 999.5. Depending on the sample and weight nomenclature, they are measured and standard. The manufacturer's mark must be present on the front side.

Ingots have a mass from 1 to 1000 grams. The minimum content of pure metal in them is 99.99%. Bankers call 999.9 fine bars “four nines”, and 999.99 fine bars are called “five nines”. GOST R 51572-2000 is established for measured gold bars.

Standard Ingots are produced weighing from 11 to 13.3 kg and a breakdown of at least 999.5. Ingots of this type are subject to the interstate standard (GOST 28058-89). A standard gold bar is made in the shape of a regular truncated pyramid. The manufacturing plant has the right to produce standard ingots of a different shape and weight.

According to the manufacturing method, gold bars are either cast or stamped.

Cast ingots are obtained by casting molten gold into ready-made molds, where the precious metal cools and becomes solid. Both measured (500 g and more) and standard ingots are produced by casting.

Stamped Ingots are more liquid in the banking sector because they have a perfectly smooth surface and perfect shape. However, they are more expensive to produce because stamping requires high-tech equipment. Stamped ingots are produced only in dimensional quantities - weighing no more than 500 g.

There are also powder ingots, not provided for by Russian standards. They are made electrolytically from gold powder. Powdered ingots are practically never found in banks in our country.

Special types of ingots:

Ingots ChipGold They resemble a credit card and weigh from 1 to 20 grams. ChipGold is sold in sealed and certified packaging.

Ingots Kinebar contain a special kinegram, which is used as a protective element and at the same time creates visual appeal. A Kinegram is a metallized element with the effect of a moving three-dimensional pattern, pressed into a gold bar. Kinebar bars are a registered trademark of the largest bank in Switzerland, UBSAG.

Ingots CombiBar are produced in the form of a chocolate bar; they are manufactured by the Swiss company Valcambi. The main feature of such a gold bar is that it can easily be broken by hand into even slices weighing 1 gram. CombiBar gold slices can be used as an alternative means of payment or simply given as a gift to someone. Valcambi produces slab bars not only from gold, but also from other precious metals: silver, palladium and platinum.

Before you start, you should carefully study all the information, compare all the pros and cons, and only then make a contribution. In this case, let's start with information about what measured and standard bars of gold and precious metals are available.

Precious metal ingots are ingots (measured and standard) of precious metals, refined in factories to the highest standards, and meeting state standards.

Bullions produced in the European Union comply with international standards established by the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA).

All bars must meet state standards, which you will learn about in this article.

Gold and silver bullion bars

What kind of ingots are called measured?

Ingots

Ingots produced by Russian refineries in accordance with GOST and production standards. The weight of the ingots ranges from 1-1000 grams, the percentage of pure metal is at least 99.9%.

Let's take a closer look at the standards for gold bullion bars and bullion bars containing silver:

GOST R, which corresponds to:

• Gold measured bars – 51572-2000.
• Silver measuring bars – 51584-2001.

According to these GOSTs, gold and silver bars must meet the following parameters:

• The dimensions are established by these GOSTs in accordance with the weight of the ingots; the thickness is not standardized in any way. The rules allow the production of ingots of any size, which are agreed upon between the customer and the manufacturer (but weighing no more than 1000 grams).
• The ingots must have no signs of damage, plaque, cracks, etc.
• All ingots must be marked in accordance with all requirements.

Let's look at the marking of a measuring ingot using an example:

1. Ingot weight (nominal) in grams.
   The inscription (name of the metal), in this case “GOLD” or “SILVER”.
2. The mass of precious metal in an ingot in its pure form (fineness of gold (silver)).
3. Sign of the factory where the ingot was produced.
4. Serial number (code) of the ingot.
   For bars smaller than 50 grams, the code may be printed on the reverse side.

What platinum bars are called measured

At its core, the marking of platinum bars is exactly the same as gold and silver, but there are a number of features that distinguish platinum bars from the rest:

• GOST R which corresponds to – 51704-2001;
• There are two samples from which measuring ingots are made. These are 999.8 and 999.5, respectively, the percentage of pure platinum in bars - 99.8% and 99.5%;
• The dimensions are established by these GOSTs in accordance with the weight of the ingots; the thickness is not standardized in any way. The rules allow the production of ingots of any size, which are agreed upon by the customer and the manufacturer (but weighing from 5 to 500 grams);
• For bars less than 100 grams, the code may be printed on the reverse side.

Weight and dimensions of measured gold bars

The weight of a gold bar may vary. Measured ingots can be of two types: cast (SL) and stamped (SS). The letters that follow directly indicate what metal is made of and the weight of the ingot itself. For example, SSHZ 500– a stamped gold bar weighing 500 grams, or SLSr 100– cast silver ingot weighing 100 grams.

The table below shows the weight of the gold bar and the dimensions that correspond to GOST. These indicators are characteristic of both silver and platinum ingots.

GOST is not provided for palladium ingots! And accordingly they are not released.

Standard precious metal bars

Standard Ingots

Standard precious metal bars are bars that are produced and marked by Russian refineries in accordance with all GOSTs. They receive the status “Good Delivery” - “Reliable Delivery”.

Relevant GOST standards.

Investments in precious metals are considered quite popular today. Russian banks present their customers with an assortment of four types of bars - gold, silver, palladium and platinum. But by far the most popular are gold ones.

Gold bullion bars are a type of valuable investment.

Gold bars can be measured or standard. In this case they can be:

• domestic, produced at refineries, with relevant government regulations and industry standards;
• of foreign origin are those that meet international quality standards. These quality standards have been adopted by the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) and the London Platinum and Palladium Market (LPPM).

Measured gold bars are gaining more and more fans over time; they are the most popular investment instrument. Every day, banks sell large volumes of gold to the population, sometimes reaching centners.

Measured gold bars are bars made of gold of domestic origin, which bear the manufacturer’s markings, as well as a pure metal content (or purity) of at least 99.99%. Basically, the mass of small-weight ingots that are available to the Russian population ranges from 1 to 1000 grams.

The current GOST establishes standards not only regarding the appearance, weight, marking of a gold bar, but also indicates the permissible presence of impurities for a certain precious metal, while the content of a separate component of the impurity is not fixed. It should be noted that GOST applies only to gold, silver and platinum bars.

Refining companies - producers of the highest standard

Raw materials for the production of precious metals are supplied to factories in quite a variety of forms. These are alloys, waste, related metals in any type of raw material.

Therefore, the goal of production is to extract gold from any source exclusively in its pure form. It’s not for nothing that a plant producing high-grade ingots is called a refining company. This strange foreign word, “affinage,” means purification in French. And in our country it is used in relation to the process of obtaining precious metals of a fairly high standard. The refiner places a stamp on the product he produces; the status of the company that produced the ingot, that is, the stamp present on the ingot, directly determines the possibility of resell the product in the future, as well as its selling price.

It is quite natural that the world has formed its own leaders in the field of refining processing. The bullion of such companies is beyond competition and is undoubtedly considered liquid. These include Argor Heraeus, Degussa, Umicore, Valcambi. Bullions from European financial institutions Credit Suisse, Standard Bank, and Commerzbank are also highly valued. While many people refuse to buy bars produced by domestic companies back.

Technologies for the production of gold bullion bars and their types

As for the production technology itself, there are three methods; depending on the chosen technology, three types of ingots are distinguished:

• a stamped ingot made by pressing a stamp onto heated metal. Characterized by a perfectly flat rectangular shape and an immaculately smooth top surface;
• cast ingot, its production uses the mold casting method. The ingot itself is characterized by a rectangular shape, while its upper surface has a slightly curved, sometimes drop-shaped shape;
• powder ingot, found much less frequently than the previous two. For production, an electrolytically formed mass of powdered metal is used.

If we compare different types of ingots from a price perspective, then stamped ones will always be a little more expensive than cast ones, and cast ones, in turn, are more expensive than powdered ones. Ingots of small mass (up to 100 grams) are almost always stamped in nature. And slightly larger ones - with a weight of 250, 500 and 1000 grams - are mainly cast on the market.

It should also be noted that not all banks adhere to the rule “stamped bars are slightly more expensive than cast bars” when buying back.

Standards regulated by GOST

All requirements for a gold bar are established by GOST R 51572-2000. According to this document, measured gold bars must meet the following requirements:

– an integral companion of every ingot

Each gold bar sold must be accompanied by a manufacturer's certificate. specified in the document:

• ingot metal;
• sample of precious metal;
• number and weight of the ingot;
• date of manufacture;
• name of the manufacturing plant.

Since each ingot is assigned a unique number, its movement can always be tracked from the moment of production to the final owner, right up to remelting. The plant is always indicated on the certificate, but it happens that over time the certificate is lost, and then the manufacturer’s mark indicated on the ingot itself will always come in handy. In addition, each manufacturer uses its own numbering system, thereby making it possible to recognize which factory a given ingot came from. Thus, the designation “NV” indicates the Novosibirsk Refinery, “Kr” - the Krasnoyarsk Non-Ferrous Metals Plant, and “Ek” - the Yekaterinburg Non-Ferrous Metals Processing Plant and others.

What is the mass of measured gold bars?

As already mentioned, GOST provides a limit value for the mass of a measuring ingot of 1 kg, but in addition, the standards regulate a line of scales with prescribed dimensions for each weight separately. Although, at the request of the customer, it is possible to produce any shape and size of the ingot, even round. We provide information about the size and weight of the ingots, taking into account the GOST instructions.

Ingot designation*	Ingot weight, g		Ingot dimensions, mm
	Nominal	Prev. deviation	Length	Width

Where, designations SSHZ - stamped gold ingot;

SLZ - cast gold bar.

Measured silver bars can also be found in a similar assortment, however, the most popular ones are 1000 gram ones, while it is simply impossible to find a 1 gram silver bar.

Where and how to buy measured gold bars in Russia?

There remains one more question, which seller to choose or where to safely buy precious metal in bullion. Of course, you should not trust intermediaries or sellers with a dubious reputation when making such an important purchase.

The most reliable option is banks, but you should remember that you can buy a measured bullion not in every Russian bank, but only in one that has the appropriate license from the Central Bank of Russia to allow working with precious metals. To date, 207 organizations have such a license. The main conditions that a bank must have in order to grant a permit are the availability of an appropriate storage facility, experienced specialists in the field, and weighing equipment.

To purchase measured gold bars, you do not need to have any documents other than banknotes.

Don’t rush to pay for the bullion; before purchasing, carefully inspect it to make sure the packaging is intact and free of damage. It is also worth paying attention to the quality certificate that is attached. If everything suits you, then immediately after payment you become the owner of the measuring ingot.

And a few words about storing a gold bar. It must be stored under normal conditions regarding humidity. At the same time, preventing them from falling, rubbing against each other, or opening the packaging.

– no less important process than purchasing

If you decide to buy a gold bar for the purpose of investment, it means that in the future you are going to sell it at a higher price. Therefore, it would be correct if, when considering a purchase, you do not forget about the reverse process. So immediately ask the bank whether it accepts bullion for buyback and under what conditions.

Of course, no one will force you (besides a favorable price offer) to turn to another bank, especially if it offers you a more reasonable price. But it’s not for nothing that they say: “He who owns the information owns the world.” Therefore, the more information you collect before you start purchasing, the faster and more profitable you will be able to sell it in the future. Therefore, do not be shy and make investments that are profitable for you.

Stay up to date with all the important events of United Traders - subscribe to our