2 oz ABC Cast Bar Gold Bar

Australia's Only Independent LBMA Refinery in a 2 oz Cast Format

The 2 oz ABC Cast Bar is a hand-poured gold bar from ABC Refinery, part of the Pallion group and Australia's only independent LBMA-accredited refinery. ABC Refinery has operated since 1978 and holds accreditations from the LBMA, COMEX, and the Shanghai Gold Exchange, placing its products on a par with any Swiss or European refiner for institutional acceptance and global liquidity.

Cast bars are made by pouring molten gold into a mould, producing a bar with a slightly rough, organic surface that varies from piece to piece. Each 2 oz ABC Cast Bar is stamped with the ABC Bullion swan hallmark, weight, purity, and a unique serial number. The hand-poured character gives cast bars an artisanal quality that minted bars, with their uniform machine-pressed finish, do not have. For some buyers this is part of the appeal; for others, the minted format in sealed assay card packaging is preferred for its tidier presentation and easier verification at resale.

At 2 troy ounces (62.207 grams) of 999.9 fine gold, this bar sits between the more common 1 oz and 5 oz gold bar sizes. The 2 oz weight is relatively uncommon for gold bars; most refiners jump from 1 oz directly to 5 oz or 10 oz. ABC Refinery is one of the few producers offering this intermediate size in their cast bar range, which spans from 1/2 oz through to 400 oz LBMA Good Delivery bars.

Cast bars generally carry lower premiums than minted bars of equivalent weight because the production process is simpler. The 2 oz ABC Cast Bar offers a practical middle ground for Australian buyers in particular: more gold per bar than a 1 oz without the significant capital outlay of a 5 oz or 10 oz bar, and with the premium advantage of the cast format.

2 oz ABC Cast Bar Gold Bar Specifications

The dimensions listed are approximate because cast bars, by their nature, vary slightly from bar to bar. The pouring process means no two cast bars have exactly the same surface texture or edge profile, though the weight and purity are precisely controlled and verified by ABC Refinery's NATA and ISO-accredited assay laboratory. Each bar receives an individual serial number stamped into the gold alongside the ABC Bullion swan logo.

ABC Refinery also produces a range of Tael-weight (37.5g) and Luong-weight (also 37.5g) cast bars targeting the Hong Kong/Chinese and Vietnamese markets respectively, reflecting the refinery's positioning for the Asia-Pacific bullion trade. The 2 oz bar itself is not a standard Asian market weight but serves the troy-ounce-denominated markets of Australia, the UK, and North America where buyers work in ounce increments. The compact dimensions of the 2 oz cast bar make it easy to store in any safe or vault, and the serialised hallmark stamp provides traceability for insurance and resale purposes. Cast bars at this size do not typically come in sealed assay card packaging; the bar's own stamped markings serve as its primary identification.

Tax Treatment of the 2 oz ABC Cast Bar

As a 999.9 fine gold bar from an LBMA-accredited refinery, the 2 oz ABC Cast Bar qualifies for investment gold tax exemptions in all major jurisdictions.

Purchase Tax

• Australia: GST-free. Investment-grade gold at 99.5%+ purity is exempt from the 10% GST on first supply after refining. ABC Refinery explicitly markets its cast bars as GST-exempt for Australian investors.
• United Kingdom: VAT-free. Investment gold at 995+ fineness is exempt from 20% VAT.
• European Union: VAT-exempt under EU Directive 98/80/EC for investment gold at 995+ fineness.
• United States: No federal sales tax. State-level sales tax varies; approximately 35 states exempt investment bullion.
• Canada: GST/HST exempt for gold at 99.5%+ purity.
• New Zealand: GST-exempt for gold at 99.5%+ purity.
• Singapore: GST-exempt under the Investment Precious Metals scheme. ABC Bullion has a Singapore presence.
• Hong Kong: No sales tax or import duties.

Capital Gains

• Australia: Capital gains on bullion disposal are assessable income. Individuals holding for more than 12 months receive a 50% CGT discount. There is no equivalent of the UK's legal-tender CGT exemption in Australia.
• UK: Subject to CGT. Gold bars are not UK legal tender and do not qualify for the CGT exemption available to Britannia and Sovereign coins. Annual allowance of £3,000.
• US: Taxed as a collectible at a maximum 28% long-term rate. ABC Refinery's LBMA accreditation and 999.9 purity mean these bars generally qualify for inclusion in a self-directed IRA through an approved custodian.
• Germany: Tax-free on capital gains after a one-year holding period.

2 oz ABC Cast Bar vs Alternatives

The 2 oz gold bar market is sparsely populated. Most major refiners do not produce a 2 oz cast bar, making the ABC Cast Bar one of the few options at this specific weight. Buyers considering this bar are typically choosing between the 2 oz format itself and the more widely available 1 oz or 50g alternatives.

For Australian buyers, the ABC Cast Bar benefits from domestic production. Bars produced by ABC Refinery can be supplied without import, purchased directly through ABC Bullion's retail stores in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, and are widely accepted by Australian dealers for buyback. The Perth Mint is Australia's other major bullion producer, but Perth Mint's cast bar range does not emphasise the 2 oz size to the same degree. Perth Mint is government-owned (Government of Western Australia) while ABC Refinery is privately held within the Pallion group.

Against Swiss competitors at nearby weights, the comparison shifts to brand and availability. A 50g PAMP Suisse bar (1.61 oz) offers the iconic Fortuna design, VeriScan authentication, and sealed CertiPAMP packaging, but at higher premiums. A 50g Argor-Heraeus bar provides Swiss LBMA credentials at competitive premiums. Both are minted rather than cast, so the comparison involves both format and brand preference.

The cast format of the ABC bar carries lower premiums than equivalent minted bars. For buyers who plan to hold the bar as a long-term investment and value cost efficiency over presentation, this is the key advantage. For resale, however, minted bars in sealed assay cards tend to command marginally higher buyback prices because the sealed packaging eliminates the need for re-assaying.

Buyers considering the 2 oz weight class for gold bars should be aware that stepping down to 1 oz increases per-ounce premiums but provides a more universally traded denomination with deeper liquidity. Stepping up to 5 oz reduces premiums further but requires more capital per unit.