When most of us use the generic term "gold bar" we have a visual picture in our minds of a rectangle shaped object gleaming with buttery luster smiling back at us. As treasure hunters we may have envisioned hefting such an object, and in this instance bigger would definitely be better!
In February 2004 the Perth Mint, a subsidiary of the Gold Corporation owned by the Government of Western Australia, became the official location of The Industry Collection of Gold Bars Worldwide. This is one of the largest collections of gold bars ever amassed, thanks to N M Rothschild & Sons (Australia) Limited, which serves as the custodian and owner of the Industry Collection. The job of curator of this extraordinary and important collection was given to Grendon International Research Pty Ltd. (GIR). GIR functions as both a consultant to the gold industry as well publisher of several impressive books on gold bars including one titled: The Industry Catalogue of Gold Bars Worldwide. This major event n ow gives the public an incredible opportunity to view one hundred twenty gold bars that will be on permanent display over the next three years. The Mint also has agreed to provide secure storage units that can hold one thousand bars in sixty storage trays for any newly acquired bars.
It may be difficult to believe, but there are actually over 700 different types of gold bars made in over 29 countries! These bars range in sizes and forms that may surprise you. Take for instance the pig model bar! That’s right. Made in South Korea by LG Metals Corporation since 1991, these gold bars actually do take the form of a pig, a symbol of wealth, or a toad, the symbol of good fortune, or even a turtle, the symbol of longevity. All ‘models’ average 99.98% pure gold and are sold in ‘Dons’, which is the Korean unit of weight. One ‘dons’ equals 3.75 grams.
If animals are not your thing, maybe you would be interested in some of the cast Chinese bars, i.e.: the biscuit, doughnut or boat bars! The Chinese unit of weight is the “tael”, which is equivalent to 1.2 ounces or 37.4 grams. These bars range from ½ tael to as large as 10 taels. Boat bars have been used for coinage as far back as 206 BC to 220 AD and are traded mainly in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Some of the worlds smallest cast bars are made in grams, with 0.3 grams, 0.5 grams and 1 gram used mostly for jewelry. In 1980, Credit Suisse (Switzerland) became one of the more popular makers of these smaller cast bars. Currently there are 12 accredited manufacturers worldwide making smaller bars.
Conversely, one of the largest gold bars is the rarely seen 400-ounce (12.5kg) London Good Delivery bar. Currently made by only 55 companies, these bars range in weight from 350 ounces to 420 ounces, all having a minimum purity of 99.5%. It is estimated that 150,000 of these bars are made annually. Most are held by central banks, and it has been estimated that 2.5 million exist!
When many of us think about gold manufacturing, we tend to think of larger corporations. However, rough cast bars have been made by literally thousands of ‘backyard’ operations in Pakistan over the last 2,000 years by melting gold in crucibles and forming bars known as ‘tezabi’ bars. Designs resemble some of the earliest known coins dating to the 7th century BC.
Today the kilobar (1000 grams) is the worlds most widely traded investor bar shaped in the traditional brick form. Recently, bars have taken on a different look. This started with decorative designs on the reverse side of bars in 1980 and progressing over the next 10 years to multi-colored hologram designs minted by Pamp (Switzerland). Not to be outdone, in 1993 Mitsubishi (Japan) pioneered the manufacturing process of ‘rainbow bars’ that creates a wide variety of colors and patterns like wood grain, textiles and even polka dots!
The Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS), through its subsidiary refinery, Argor-Heraeus SA, developed a product called Kinebar™ that comes with its own trademark security device minted in the reverse, a technique was developed by Landis & Gyr Communications.
If the conventional gold bar is too tame for you, there are now unconventional heart-shaped bars, kidney shaped yin-yang bars, fine art bars, bullion watch bars, full color oval pendant bars, and cartoon bars bearing the likenesses of your favorite Warner Bros. and Disney characters.
Where will it all end? Who knows? But I do know that as long as man searches for this elusive precious metal we call gold, we will keep coming up with more ways to show it off!
Sources:
Source of gold bar information and photographs: "The Industry Catalogue of Gold Bars Worldwide" (344 pages, 950 illustrations), by Nigel Desebrock. Published in 1998 by Grendon International Research Pty Ltd. Website: www.grendon.com.au
Categories of Gold Bars - World Gold Council Web Site
http://www.gold.org/pr_archive/html/bars/Categ.htm
Gold Bar types, weights and purities - World Gold Council Web Site
http://www.gold.org/pr_archive/html/bars/Types.htm
Gold bars Gallery 1 - World Gold Council Web Site