What you need to know about gold bars: shapes, weights and prices. Measured ingots Types of precious metal ingots
One of the services of modern banks is the sale of precious metal bars to individuals. Particularly popular are gold and silver bars, the purchase of which allows bank clients to disperse their savings across several types, choosing the most appropriate option for each individual to preserve and increase their savings. To deal with bullion, every person needs some general knowledge about gold bullion, silver bullion, platinum bullion and palladium bullion. For example, what types of bars are there, what do they look like externally, what marks should be poured on them, how can you find out the standard of gold (silver, platinum, palladium) or the weight of the bar?
Regulations of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation dated November 1, 1996 N 50 “On the performance of transactions with precious metals by credit institutions on the territory of the Russian Federation and the procedure for conducting banking transactions with precious metals” approved by Order of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation dated November 1, 1996 N 02-400 introduced concepts that and determine the work with ingots:
- Banks are credit organizations that, in accordance with the established procedure, have received a license (permission) from the Bank of Russia to carry out transactions with precious metals.
- Precious metals are bars of gold, silver, platinum and palladium, as well as coins made of precious metals (gold, silver, platinum and palladium), with the exception of coins that are the currency of the Russian Federation.
- Precious metal bars are standard or measured bars of Russian production, corresponding to state standards in force in the Russian Federation, and foreign production, corresponding to international quality standards adopted by the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) and London Platinum and Palladium Market Participants (LPPM) .
- composition with a certain admixture,
- a certain shape
- a certain mass.
- Serial number;
- Try;
- Letters of precious metals;
- Manufacturer's mark;
- Year of manufacture;
- Bar weight in grams or ounces.
- this is a state mark, a guarantee of the usefulness of bars or coins in circulation;
- This is an indication of the weight content of the precious metal in a unit of the alloy.
The Regulations of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation dated November 1, 1996 N 50 speaks of two types of Russian-made precious metal ingots:
- Standard Ingots
- Ingots
Standard gold bars (silver, platinum, palladium) and their purity
Standard Ingots- these are precious metal bars manufactured and marked by Russian (until 1992 - Soviet) refining organizations in accordance with current state and industry standards, which have the following weight and fineness denominations:For clarity, I will provide images of products of OJSC Krasnoyarsk Non-Ferrous Metals Plant named after V.N. Gulidov”, as well as their mass and fineness denominations:
Russian factories included in the Good Delivery list
In world practice, standard ingots of precious metals of very good quality, with high purity and the mark of repeatedly tested reputable refining enterprises LBMA and LPPM are assigned the status of Good Delivery, which allows the products of the enterprises to be highly valued and enter the international precious metals market.The Good Delivery list includes more than 55 companies from 28 countries for gold, 68 companies from 27 countries for silver, 30 companies from 10 countries for platinum and 23 companies from 9 countries for palladium.
Good Delivery status for precious metal bars has been assigned to the products of the following enterprises of the Russian Federation:
| №№ | Enterprises that have been assigned Good Delivery Status | Good Delivery on: |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| standard gold bars | standard silver bars | platinum and palladium bars |
||
| 1. | Yekaterinburg Non-Ferrous Metals Processing Plant | assigned | assigned | assigned |
| 2. | Novosibirsk Refinery | assigned | assigned | assigned |
| 3. | Shchelkovo secondary precious metals plant | assigned | assigned | - |
| 4. | Prioksky Non-Ferrous Metals Plant | assigned | assigned | assigned |
| 5. | Krasnoyarsk Non-Ferrous Metals Plant | assigned | assigned | assigned |
| 6. | Kolyma Refinery | assigned | - | - |
| 7. | Uralelectromed | - | assigned | - |
Measured ingots and their weight
Ingots- these are precious metal ingots manufactured and labeled by Russian (until 1992 - Soviet) refining organizations in accordance with current state, industry and enterprise standards, as well as foreign-made ingots that meet international quality standards, weighing 1 kg or less, containing chemically pure base precious metal of at least 99.99% of the alloy mass of the ingot.Such bars are issued on the basis of the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of November 25, 1995 No. 1157 “On additional measures to develop the market of precious metals and precious stones in the Russian Federation”
Measured ingots are non-standard weight ingots of precious metals, which have the following denominations of mass and fineness:
For example, gold ingots from the same Krasnoyarsk Non-Ferrous Metals Plant named after V.N. Gulidova look like this:
Gold measured bars
Their GOST R51572-2000, content of the main component is 99.99%; weight of ingots from 1 to 1000 grams.
Measured gold bars are made in cast (SLZ) and stamped (SSHZ) versions:
A sample of a silver ingot weighing up to 1000 grams. looks like that:
Samples of platinum ingots look like this.
In the days of Jack London, strong, rugged men panned for gold sand in difficult conditions and carried it in leather bags attached to their belts. It was a romantic time. Nowadays men prefer to buy gold in bullion and store it in safe safes. What types of gold bars are there and how much precious metal do they contain?
Production of ingots and basic requirements for them
There are three known ways to obtain gold bars:
Each state has its own national standards for the production of gold bars, but the basic requirements for product quality are the same:
- The gold bar must have an acceptable weight, and the metal itself must have a purity of at least 999.
- The shape and dimensions of products must comply with the conditions of the standard.
Each product displays its main parameters:
Products are produced in different sizes with different weights. Ingots with parameters close to the London standard (London good delivery) are accepted for worldwide trading.
One gold bar that meets this criterion is shaped like a truncated pyramid with rounded edges. Its weight is between 350–450 troy ounces (10886–13754 grams).
You can purchase precious metal at specialized exchanges and banks. If the mass of the brick is less than 1 kg, then you can buy it in jewelry stores. If desired, you can purchase securities that correspond to the equivalent of the product. In this case, the bullion itself can be stored in a bank safe deposit box.
Standard weights and types of gold bars
The right to produce gold bars is granted to special enterprises called refineries. They produce two types of products:
Such products are produced by casting. Their detailed characteristics are specified in GOST 28058–89. They are shaped like a truncated pyramid and contain at least 99.95% gold. The surface of the products should be free of sagging, burrs, plaque and foreign inclusions.
Concavities up to 5 mm deep and cleaned areas are acceptable. This is due to the method of production. Each ingot is stamped and the product is provided with a document.
How much does a standard gold bar weigh? Its weight can be in the range of 11000–13000 grams. The mass of 1 ingot is usually determined by the customer according to the conditions of his production.
Ingots
Product sizes and certificate
The amount of weight deviation in the ingot is permissible only in a positive direction. It can be from +0.03 to +0.10 grams. Each denomination has its own length and width limits. The thickness of the products is not regulated.
For example, a cast ingot weighing 100 g should have a length of 40.0–43.0 mm and a width of 20.0–23.0 mm. Its designation is SLZ 100. A stamped product of the same weight - SSHZ 100 - will have a length of 54.0–56.0 mm and a width of 31.0–33.0 mm. Refineries produce a large number of ingots of various denominations.
Each ingot is sold together with a certificate indicating the weight of the product. The certificate also lists the parameters displayed on the front side of the ingot. Using these indicators, it is easy to find out the manufacturing company, because each plant uses unique code letters. Thus, the Novosibirsk refinery indicates the letters “NV” before the number, the Krasnoyarsk refinery - “Kr”, the Yekaterinburg - “Ek” and so on.
Areas of use
The most famous use of gold is, of course, the jewelry industry. Many people prefer jewelry made from this precious metal.
In its pure form, gold is a soft, quickly abrading material. Jewelers add various impurities to it and obtain more stable alloys, which are called red, rose, and white gold. They make their amazing jewelry from this colored gold.
In its pure form, gold is used in the electronics industry in the production of integrated circuits, high-quality audio connectors, robotics, and the medical industry. The demand for the precious metal in radio electronics is due to its anti-corrosion properties.
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.
The world's largest gold bar is located in one of the Japanese museums. It weighs 250 kilograms and costs more than $3 million. This metal has always been desirable and expensive, not only due to its beauty, but also due to a number of useful properties for people, which include the fact that it does not oxidize, does not tarnish, serves as a conductor and is used in medicine as an antiseptic.
However, its main area of application is monetary relations. Gold bullion is the world's hardest currency because, unlike money or securities, it cannot lose value.
You can buy them for investment purposes at any large bank, however, before making a purchase, you should find out more about them so as not to make a mistake with your choice. You should know that there are measured and standard gold bars, as well as the standards of Russian manufacturers according to which these bars are manufactured. Overseas smelters follow their own standards set by the London Platinum and Palladium Market, abbreviated LPPM, and the London Bullion Market Association, abbreviated LBMA, referred to as the “London good delivery” standard.
Technological differences
To understand how much a gold bar weighs, it should be borne in mind that there are several technologies for its production, as a result of which the final product is divided into:
- Powder products.
- Stamped.
- Cast.
Powdered ones are made from metal powder by electrolysis. These are the cheapest gold bars, they are rare in international banking systems, and are completely absent in Russia.
Stamped products are produced by exposing a stamp to hot metal, they have an attractive smooth surface, are designated as SSHZ and weigh no more than 500 g. Despite the fact that the cost of their production is higher due to modern technologies, their liquidity is also higher.
Cast gold bars are produced by casting molten metal into a finished mold; they weigh more than 500 g and are designated as SLZ; they are cheaper than stamped ones, but more expensive than powder ones.
Russian measuring products according to GOST can be produced both cast and stamped, while standard products are always produced only cast.
Ingots
Measured gold bars are produced weighing up to 1 kg, and it is from them that the bulk of small bars in Russian banks, available for retail purchase, are made up. A .999 gold bar means it contains 99.99% pure metal. They are sold not only through banks, but also through jewelry stores.
GOST R 51572-2000 regulates the quality of gold bullion in the Russian Federation:
- Determines within what limits the length and width parameters can deviate. The same boundaries regulate the mass of the ingot.
- Requires that the edges of the final product be free of foreign inclusions, stains or scratches, traces of grease, chips, cracks and other possible defects.
- According to GOST, the surface of a gold bar is allowed to be wavy or curved, since shrinkage occurs during the technological process of metal crystallization.
- GOST requires that the sample be clear and legible. The information printed on the front side must contain information about the mass in grams, sample, manufacturer's mark, name of the metal, the inscription “Russia” in the oval and the full serial number.
- Allows the production of a gold bar, the weight, shape or size of which differs, by agreement between the consumer and the manufacturer, from the regulatory requirements of GOST.
The weight of a measured gold bar can vary from one gram to a kilogram, and GOST allows any shape of the product, even round, if the consumer wants it. The Russian banking market is represented by a huge range of these popular products.
Standard products
How much does a standard gold bar weigh? It can weigh at least 11,000 grams and should not weigh more than 13,300 grams, which meets the requirements of GOST 28058-89. In addition to these requirements, GOST must meet the following product characteristics:
- Product form. It must be correct, and its dimensions must correspond to the dimensions of the sides of the truncated pyramid, however, by agreement with the consumer, these details can be changed by the manufacturer.
- The amount of precious metal in the product. It must be specified according to the standard.
- No dirty spots or noticeable damage. But the presence of cleared areas is allowed if they are no more than 1 mm in depth and no more than 5 mm concave.
- Marking: year of manufacture, number, metal standard, brand, weight, manufacturer's symbols and trademark.
Certificate
Even one bar, regardless of size, is accompanied by a manufacturer’s certificate, which indicates the date of its production, gold purity, type of precious metal, its number, etc. Due to the fact that the number of each product is unique, you can easily find out the complete history of the purchase or sale of any bullion.
If you lose your certificate, you can always use the information provided on the product label. And since each manufacturer supports and maintains its own numbering method, it will not be difficult to determine the manufacturer.
Buying and selling
The price of 1 gram of 999 fine gold in Sberbank of Russia reflects the cost of this metal on the entire Russian gold market. There are many types of bars, but more than 90% of the turnover of products sold on the international and Russian markets are products of the “London good delivery” standard.
Products of the “London good delivery” standard must meet the following standards: the mass of pure metal in the ingot must be from 350 to 450 troy ounces or from 10,886 grams to 13,754 grams, and the purity of the metal must be at least 995%, while the weight of each ingot must be expressed in troy ounces.
The Central Bank offers Russians 999 fine ingots in a full range of sizes from 1 to 1000 g.
It should be taken into account that in Russia, when buying gold, a commission of 18% is taken, which is not returned to the investor upon sale, however, in other countries the situation is somewhat different, which will save a potential buyer some money. It is recommended to pay attention to Cyprus, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and Singapore. Especially to Cyprus, because tickets there are cheaper, investments can be combined with a seaside holiday, and a small family can buy and import 30 thousand euros worth of gold into Russia at a time without duties, without declaring their purchase.
For investing in gold on Russian territory, impersonal metal accounts are best suited, because VAT is not charged in this case, the client can always quickly sell the metal, and also saves money on its protection, transportation and storage.
Many people, when they saw a gold bar, were interested in the question: how much does it weigh? Considering that this metal has one of the highest density values among all others, and the ingot itself is of impressive size, this figure is clearly not small. Investors will need to know how much a standard gold bar weighs.
Types of ingots
There are several types of ingot standards, which have different applications and technologies. According to the method of application, they are divided into the following:
- measured;
- standard.
Measured ones are intended for sale to citizens, standard ones are used only for technological needs. According to production technology, there are several types:
- stamped;
- powder;
- cast.
The designation of stamped ones is SZSh, their weight does not exceed half a kilogram, they can easily be lifted with just your fingers. When stamping, they are cut from flat sheets. Powder ingots are made using the electrolytic method, and metal powders are used for their production. They are not used in the Russian Federation. They are the cheapest and are also rarely used by banks in other countries.
Ingots that are made by casting have a large mass and will be difficult to lift with your fingers. Cast bricks weigh more than 500 grams, they are designated SLZ. The price ranges between powder and stamped. If the product does not meet the requirements of GOST, then it is sent to the manufacturer for re-melting. Most of them must comply with the requirements of the London Bullion Market Association.
Ingot weight
An ingot is a piece of metal, it looks like a bar and comes in several different grades and weights. Bankovsky has the highest purity of 999.9, that is, it is almost pure gold.
How much does a gold bar weigh? In most cases they weigh 1 kg. These are the types of investment objects that any bank can offer you. Standard bars are regulated by government or legislation. They weigh between 11 and 13.3 kilograms.
In some countries, the bank may offer you to buy bullion of different weights starting from 1 gram. The largest bar on earth weighs 200 kilograms; it is also made of the purest gold.
In 1943, a law was passed in the United States. It stated that gold in the country's reserves should be stored only in the form of bars. The standard bullion in the US Gold Reserve weighs 400 troy ounces. But for commercial purposes they also allow the use of ingots of different weights.
So, for jewelers they are made weighing one kilogram; at gold mining sites they are cast at 1200 troy ounces. A troy ounce weighs approximately 30 grams and is an international measure of the weight of gold. Gold is traded in troy ounces on precious metals exchanges.
To imagine how much a gold bar weighs, you can take a 10-liter bucket and fill it with water. Try to lift it: it’s heavy, isn’t it, but a gold bar weighs even more.
Measuring ingot in Russia
Products that are produced weighing up to one kilogram, have a purity of 999.9 and are used for investment by individuals are called measured. Used for sale, they are marked. Special requirements established by GOST include:
- Permissible deviations of dimensions and weight for each weight. At the same time, the thickness of the product is not standardized; standards are established only for length and width.
- If there is an appropriate agreement, some parameters may change, including dimensions and shape.
- The products should not have chips, cracks, or grease stains.
- Changes in planes over time due to crystallization or shrinkage of the metal are allowed. The surface can be concave or convex.
- The product must be marked, the inscriptions must contain letters and numbers and be legible.
- Correction or merging of characters in the marking is unacceptable.
- A distinctive symbol may be applied to one or more sides.
Gold bank bars In accordance with the standard, they are marked as follows:
- the inscription “Russia”, which is located in an oval;
- designation of mass in numbers;
- the inscription "Gold";
- sample or fraction of metal;
- The manufacturer's brand is placed on the back or front side of the product.
Thus, the measuring ingot must be marked and the weight must be indicated on it, which cannot exceed one kilogram.
Standard Ingot
Standard gold bar - how much is it? It must meet all Russian standards, and its mass is checked on a special scale. It ranges from 11 to 13.3 kg, and the ingot must comply with the rules:
- It must be made in the form of a truncated pyramid, which has established dimensions, which, in the case of a specific agreement, can be changed.
- The surface should be shiny. The presence of stains and slag is not allowed.
- There may be depressions up to 0.5 cm on the surface.
- The marking is applied to the lower base and should include: metal grade, sample, manufacturer's mark, year.
In the Russian Federation, all this is indicated on one side of the ingot. Of course, you can’t lift a brick weighing more than 10 kg with your fingers.
Interesting facts about product weight:
- Gold is not only used in trading and jewelry. It has been used for many years to make Olympic medals. The first medal made weighed only 6 grams; the mass of modern medals is larger.
- According to estimates, a total of 145,000 tons of gold were mined, but it is impossible to calculate how much remains, since new deposits are still being discovered.
- The weight of gold is quite large. A ton is a cube whose edge is only 37 centimeters long. And if you weigh a cubic meter of this metal, you get more than 19 tons.
- Tutankhamun's sarcophagus, which was made of gold, weighed 1.5 tons.
Thus, a weight of one kilogram is used for investment. Used for storing reserves in the gold and foreign exchange reserve - 400 troy ounces or no more than 13.3 kilograms. If you wish, you can go to banks and buy a gold bar in one.