10g Dove of Peace Gold Bar

Israeli Bullion with Biblical Symbolism

The 10g Holy Land Mint Dove of Peace gold bar is produced by Israel Coins and Medals Corp. (ICMC), trading internationally as The Holy Land Mint. ICMC was established in 1958 by Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, with an original mandate to commemorate national events through coins and medals. The pivot to investment-grade bullion came in 2014 with the launch of the Dove of Peace series in silver, followed by gold rounds and bars in 2019.

The bar's design features a dove in flight carrying an olive branch, soaring over the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. The imagery draws from the biblical story of Noah (Genesis 8:11), where a dove returning with an olive branch signals the receding of the flood waters. This makes the bar one of the few bullion products whose design has explicit religious and literary significance, setting it apart from the purely institutional aesthetics of Swiss refiner bars or the national symbols found on sovereign mint products.

At 10 grams of 999.9 fine gold, the bar is comparable in price to a 1/4 oz gold coin. The premium will typically exceed that of a plain Argor-Heraeus Classic bar or similar unthemed product, reflecting both the production cost of the detailed design and the smaller scale of the Holy Land Mint's operations compared to major Swiss refiners. Distribution is primarily through US dealers (APMEX, JM Bullion, Money Metals) and directly through the Holy Land Mint.

It is important to understand what the Holy Land Mint is and is not. Despite the "Mint" branding, ICMC is not Israel's monetary authority (that is the Bank of Israel). The Holy Land Mint produces medals, art bars, and bullion rounds/bars, not circulating currency. The Dove of Peace products are not legal tender and carry no face value. The company was government-owned from 1958 until privatisation in 2008, when it was acquired by the G.R.A.S. Group.

Holy Land Mint 10g Dove of Peace Gold Bar Details

Design Details

The obverse features the dove carrying an olive branch in flight above the Old City of Jerusalem walls. The cityscape includes outlines of notable buildings within the walls. The reverse carries Holy Land Mint branding with weight and purity specifications. The design has remained consistent since the series launched in 2014, with year-date changes and occasional anniversary privy marks (a 10th anniversary privy mark was issued in 2024).

Authentication uses Certieye technology, an optical verification system that provides an additional layer of security beyond the standard serial number and tamper-proof packaging. Each bar is sealed in a PETG blister package with a security film, and the serial number is printed on the security/assay card. The Dove of Peace gold bar range spans from 1g up to 1 oz in bar format, with the 10g positioned as a mid-range option. Gold rounds (circular format) are also available in the series at 1 oz, 1/10 oz, and 1/25 oz weights.

Tax Treatment for the Dove of Peace 10g Gold Bar

The bar qualifies as investment gold in most jurisdictions due to its 999.9 purity. It is not legal tender and carries no face value in any country.

Purchase Tax

• United Kingdom: VAT-exempt under the Investment Gold Exemption for gold bars at 995+ fineness.
• European Union: VAT-exempt under Directive 98/80/EC for gold in bar form at 995+ fineness.
• United States: No federal sales tax. State-level treatment varies. Approximately 35 states exempt bullion.
• Canada: GST/HST exempt at 99.5%+ purity. Not RRSP-eligible (RRSP requires coins issued by a government mint with face value; this is a bar with no face value from a private entity).
• Australia: GST-free as investment-grade gold at 99.5%+ purity.
• Singapore: GST-exempt under the IPM scheme for gold at 99.5%+ purity.
• Hong Kong: No sales tax or duties.

Capital Gains

• UK: Subject to CGT. No exemption for gold bars. Annual exempt amount is £3,000.
• US: Taxed as collectibles at a maximum 28% federal rate for long-term gains. Short-term gains taxed as ordinary income.
• Germany: Tax-free if held for more than one year.
• Singapore and Hong Kong: No capital gains tax.

Retirement Accounts

The bar meets the IRS purity requirement of 99.5% for gold in a precious metals IRA. The gold (.9999 purity) qualifies under Section 408(m). The bar must be held by an approved IRA custodian, not personally. In the UK, the purity qualifies for SIPP inclusion under HMRC rules (minimum 995 fineness).

Dove of Peace vs Other 10g Gold Bars

The Dove of Peace bar occupies a niche that combines investment bullion with cultural and religious symbolism. Its competitive set includes both plain investment bars and other themed products.

Against the 10g Argor-Heraeus Classic, the Dove of Peace carries a higher premium and narrower dealer recognition. Argor-Heraeus has been LBMA-accredited since 1961 and its bars are among the most liquid gold products in the world. The Holy Land Mint does not hold LBMA Good Delivery status (that applies to 400 oz wholesale bars from accredited refiners). For pure investment efficiency, the Argor-Heraeus bar offers better value per gram and a tighter bid-ask spread on resale. The Dove of Peace adds a design and provenance dimension that the Classic deliberately omits.

Compared to the 10g Asahi Diwali bar, both products use cultural and religious imagery to differentiate from plain investment bars. The Diwali bar features Lakshmi (Hindu goddess of wealth) and targets the Diwali gift-giving tradition; the Dove of Peace features biblical imagery connected to Jerusalem and the Holy Land. Asahi Refining's LBMA and COMEX credentials give it an institutional advantage. Both bars are 999.9 fine and sealed in assay packaging, and both carry premiums above plain bars.

The 10g Credit Suisse Liberty bar is another design-bearing bar at this weight, featuring the Statue of Liberty reverse. The Credit Suisse brand and Valcambi manufacturing provide broader dealer recognition and tighter spreads than the Holy Land Mint product. The Liberty targets the American market through a secular symbol; the Dove of Peace targets a global audience through religious symbolism. Both bars are likely to trade at premiums above plain refiner bars.

The Holy Land Mint's core appeal is to buyers who want their gold purchase to carry specific cultural meaning, whether as a connection to Israel and the Holy Land, an expression of faith through biblical imagery, or a commemorative piece. For these buyers, no Swiss or German refiner bar provides an equivalent. For buyers focused solely on investment metrics (premium, liquidity, bid-ask spread), the established LBMA refiner bars remain the more efficient choice.