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Golden Eagle Coins
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$4,533.86 | +8.75% | $4,533.86 | View Deal |
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About the 1 oz Dragon Gold Bar
A Discontinued Swiss Bar with Asian Market Heritage
The 1 oz Credit Suisse Dragon gold bar is a specialty product originally manufactured by Valcambi SA for the Asian investment market. Credit Suisse's gold bar range first appeared in 1979, with all production handled by Valcambi, the LBMA-accredited Swiss refinery in Balerna. The Dragon bar features a dragon design on one side and carries .9999 fine gold purity, matching the specification of Credit Suisse's broader bar range.
Credit Suisse's dragon-themed bars were produced as art bars targeting markets where dragon imagery carries deep cultural significance, symbolising power, prosperity, and good fortune. The broader Credit Suisse range included a "Chinese Art Bar" in the tael weight format (37.5 g / 1.206 troy oz) specifically produced for Hong Kong and Southeast Asian gold markets. The 1 oz version brings this Asian-market design into the standard troy ounce format familiar to Western investors.
Following UBS's acquisition of Credit Suisse in March 2023, no new Credit Suisse-branded bars of any type are being produced. Existing bars remain fully tradeable investment-grade bullion. The discontinued status, combined with the bar's specialty nature, means secondary market availability is limited. Dealers describe Credit Suisse Dragon bars as "not often encountered," making them less liquid than standard Credit Suisse or PAMP Fortuna bars but potentially interesting to collectors of discontinued Swiss bullion.
Credit Suisse Dragon Gold Bar Technical Details
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 1 troy oz (31.1035 g) |
| Purity | .9999 fine gold (24 karat) |
| Manufacturer | Valcambi SA, Balerna, Switzerland |
| Brand | Credit Suisse |
| Design theme | Dragon (Asian market art bar) |
| Serial number | Engraved, matching assay certificate |
The bar carries the standard Credit Suisse hallmarks: the Valcambi certification mark (CHI, Essayeur Fondeur), weight and purity markings, and a unique serial number. It was produced in tamper-evident assay packaging with a matching certificate. The dragon design distinguishes it from Credit Suisse's standard minted bars, which carry the bank's logo in a repeating pattern, and from the Credit Suisse Liberty bar, which features the Statue of Liberty.
Credit Suisse also produced dragon-themed bars in the tael weight format (1 tael = 37.5 g), which is the traditional gold trading unit across Hong Kong, Singapore, and mainland Chinese markets. The tael version carries Chinese character inscriptions reading "Credit Suisse, Essayeur Fondeur." The 1 oz troy format follows Western weight conventions while retaining the Asian-market design aesthetic.
Credit Suisse Dragon Gold Bar Tax Treatment
At .9999 purity, the Credit Suisse Dragon bar qualifies as investment gold across all major jurisdictions, with the same tax treatment as any other 999.9 fine gold bar.
United Kingdom
VAT-exempt as investment gold (995+ fineness). Subject to CGT at 18-24%, as it is not UK legal tender. Rare on the UK secondary market.
United States
Meets the IRS 99.5% purity threshold for IRA eligibility, subject to custodian approval. Capital gains taxed at up to 28% (collectibles rate). The bar occasionally appears through US dealers on the secondary market.
Hong Kong and Singapore
No sales tax, no import duty, no capital gains tax in either jurisdiction. These markets were the primary target audience for Credit Suisse's dragon-themed bars, and the tael remains a commonly used gold weight unit in Hong Kong's gold trading community.
EU
VAT-exempt as investment gold under Directive 98/80/EC. Uncommon in European dealer inventory.
Canada and Australia
GST/HST-exempt (Canada) and GST-free (Australia) as investment gold at 99.5%+ purity.
Credit Suisse Dragon vs PAMP Dragon Bars and Standard Swiss Gold
The dragon-themed gold bar market has shifted since Credit Suisse ceased production. PAMP Suisse now dominates this niche with multiple current-production series: the Good Luck Yellow Dragon, the Lunar Legend Azure Dragon, and annual Year of the Dragon lunar calendar bars. PAMP bars are widely available new from dealers worldwide, carry Veriscan digital verification, and benefit from PAMP's broader recognition. The Credit Suisse Dragon is secondary-market only, making it harder to source but potentially more interesting to collectors of discontinued Swiss bullion.
Against a standard 1 oz Credit Suisse Liberty, the Dragon bar is significantly rarer. The Liberty was produced across multiple sizes as a standard retail line, whereas the Dragon was a specialty product with more limited distribution. Both share .9999 purity and Valcambi manufacturing, but the Dragon is likely to carry a higher premium on the secondary market due to scarcity.
For buyers primarily interested in acquiring gold at the lowest cost per ounce, the Credit Suisse Dragon is not the most efficient choice. Generic bars from Valcambi, Heraeus, or Argor-Heraeus offer the same purity at lower premiums. The Dragon bar's appeal is for those who value the combination of Swiss refining credentials, Asian cultural design, and the finality of a discontinued product line from a bank that no longer exists independently.
1 oz Dragon Gold Bar: frequently asked questions
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The cheapest 1oz Credit Suisse Dragon gold bar tracked right now is $4,533.86 from Golden Eagle Coins, sitting around 8.7% over the current gold spot price. Credit Suisse bars are no longer in production following the 2023 UBS acquisition, so all examples available today come from the secondary market.
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The Credit Suisse Dragon bar contains 1 oz of 999.9 fine gold, minted under the Credit Suisse brand. At 999.9 purity it qualifies as investment-grade gold, and existing bars retain their full bullion value regardless of Credit Suisse's current status.
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The Credit Suisse Dragon bar was a specialty product featuring dragon imagery made for the Asian market, where dragons represent prosperity and good fortune. It was not an annually-changing series like a lunar calendar programme; the dragon design was a fixed motif on a particular bar format. Credit Suisse bars are no longer produced following the 2023 UBS acquisition. PAMP Suisse now produces current-production dragon-themed bars including Good Luck Dragon and Lunar Legend series bars.
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The current gold spot price is $4,171.00. The spot price is the benchmark for valuing gold bullion and updates continuously during trading hours. The premium a dealer charges on top of spot covers refining, minting, and distribution costs.