We have all seen rectangular gold bars in the movies, Have you ever wondered how much a gold bar weighs? Well, it depends on the size and composition of the gold bar.
Valuable gold bars come in several dimensions, however, the average trading size may differ depending on the location.
There are a lot of misconceptions about the size and weight of the gold bars as most people believe what they see in the movies to be true.
How Heavy is a Standard Bar of Gold?
The gold bar is a refined metallic gold that comes in different sizes and weights. As depicted in the movies, many people believe that the gold bar is equivalent to the size of a brick.
The gold bars shown in the film world are termed good delivery bars. The accurate way to measure the weight of a gold bar is in troy ounces. Here’s what you need to know about the measurements
- One troy ounce equals 31.1 grams in gold bar weight
- One kilogram of gold weighs 32.1507 troy ounces
A ‘standard’ bar of gold is 4x11x2 inches in size and weighs around 400 troy ounces, equivalent to 27.5 pounds or over 11 kilograms.
It should be noted that standard bars of gold weigh ‘approximately’ 400 troy ounces. It is because minted gold bars are made in molds, therefore, the rate of fill is not always accurate.
To that end, the standard bar can slightly weigh more or less than 400 troy ounces. Although the aforementioned value is widely used as standard, the weight of standard gold bars varies depending on the location.
Good Delivery 400 OZ Bar
The standard gold bar is also commonly referred to as the good delivery bar. It is quite similar to the gold bars you see on television.
It weighs about 400 troy ounces and 27.5 pounds, equivalent to 438.857 ounces or 12.441 kilograms.
To put it simply, the standard gold bar weighs about the same as a mountain bike. Even though this is considered a standard size, you will find different weight standards for the gold bar.
The internationally accredited central bank sets out a weight for the standard bar between 350 to 430 troy ounces (10.9 – 13.4 kg). The buyer will only pay for the actual weight of the bar.
In addition, these gold bars have 0.995 parts pure gold. Considering the weight of pure gold, a 400 troy-ounce bar would be approximately 398 ounces. However Gold is heavier than silver and the weight o the silver bar is less.
Furthermore, the shapes of these gold bars also vary depending on where they are cast or minted.
Standard Measures
Gold bars are considered a good investment, that’s why they come in a variety of sizes, weights, and shapes. The good delivery gold bar is considered a standard gold bar for the longest time.
However, many countries like to trade in other sizes of bars. For instance, the standard is 1 KG gold bar in China whereas India trades in tola bar, weighing 3.75 ounces. In Thailand, a 10 Baht gold bar equivalent to 152.44 grams is the standard weight.
Value of Gold By Weight
You may have observed that the weight of the standard bar is mentioned in troy ounces instead of regular ounces. A troy ounce weighs slightly more than a standard ounce, approximately 10% heavier.
Today, troy ounces are only used to measure the weights of valuable metals like gold. As discussed above, the weight of the standard bar is about 400 troy ounces, therefore, the amount of gold within each bar is not perfectly precise.
Gold bars are created using molds, therefore, some are fuller than others. As the weight of the standard-sized bar fluctuates, so does the value per troy ounce of gold.
The standard-sized investment gold bars are usually worth over $700,000. However, the variation in the weight of gold bars can change the value by at least $100,000.