100g Intrinsic Tender Gold Bar

The 100g Intrinsic Tender Gold Bar

This bar contains 100 grams (3.2151 troy oz) of .9999 fine gold, one of the most popular gold bar sizes in European markets and a standard trading weight wherever metric bullion dominates. At a current price point of roughly $10,000-$10,500, it represents a substantial single purchase, and that scale is exactly what drives its appeal: typical premiums on 100g gold bars run 2-4% over spot, approaching kilo bar territory, with only kilo bars offering meaningfully lower premiums in the retail market.

The step from 50g to 100g is one of the sharpest efficiency gains in the gram bar range, narrowing the premium from a typical 3-6% to 2-4%. Compared with a 1 oz gold bar at 3-5%, the 100g format trades flexibility for cost: it contains 3.22 ounces that must be sold as one piece, where three or four 1 oz bars can be liquidated in stages. For buyers with the budget who intend to hold, the 100g bar is the more cost-efficient vehicle.

Regionally, the format is strongest in Europe, where Swiss, German, and Austrian dealers carry extensive 100g inventories, and it is also a common weight in Singapore and Hong Kong alongside tael-denominated bars. In the US it is available but less dominant than troy-ounce sizes, which remain the natural denominations for American buyers.

100g Intrinsic Tender Gold Bar Specifications

.9999 fine is the standard retail gold bar purity, above the 995 minimum that defines investment gold for the LBMA Good Delivery standard and for most tax regimes. A typical 100g gold bar measures roughly 47mm x 27mm x 5mm depending on manufacturer, small enough to fit in a shirt pocket, and bars at this weight are usually sealed in tamper-evident assay cards carrying the serial number, weight, purity, and hallmark.

Keep the assay card sealed: breaking it can force re-assaying at resale and reduces the price a dealer will offer. Authentication deserves attention at this size because the tungsten-core counterfeiting risk that exists for gold bars becomes relevant around 100g and up; tungsten's density (19.25 g/cm3) is close enough to gold's (19.32 g/cm3) that weight checks alone cannot rule it out, and XRF readers only penetrate the surface. Electromagnetic testing with a Sigma Metalytics verifier remains effective up to about 100g, and ultrasonic testing is the most reliable non-destructive check. Buying sealed bars from established dealers avoids the issue in practice.

100g Gold Bar Tax Treatment by Country

At .9999 fineness this bar qualifies as investment gold in every major jurisdiction, so purchase tax is rarely the issue; the meaningful differences arise when you sell.

• UK: VAT-exempt as investment gold, but CGT applies on disposal because bars are never CGT-exempt; that relief is reserved for UK legal tender coins. Gains above the £3,000 annual allowance are taxed at 18-24%.
• US: No federal sales tax; most states exempt bullion. Long-term gains taxed at the collectibles rate of up to 28%. IRA-eligible bars must be 99.5%+ purity from an accredited refiner and held at an approved depository.
• EU: VAT-exempt across all member states under the Investment Gold Directive. Capital gains rules vary: Germany charges nothing after a 12-month hold, which combined with low bar premiums makes large gold bars a favoured German vehicle.
• Canada: 0% GST/HST for gold at 99.5% purity or higher in bar form.
• Australia: 0% GST for investment-grade gold at 99.5% purity or higher; CGT applies with a 50% discount after a 12-month hold.
• New Zealand: GST-exempt at 99.5% gold purity or higher.
• Singapore: 0% GST under the Investment Precious Metals scheme; no capital gains tax. The 100g format is a common weight in the Singapore market.
• Hong Kong: No sales tax, no import duty, no capital gains tax.