Dove of Peace Gold

The Dove of Peace Gold Bullion Range

The Dove of Peace is the flagship bullion series from the Holy Land Mint, the international trading name of Israel Coins and Medals Corp. (ICMC). Established in 1958 by Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, ICMC was fully government-owned until privatisation in 2008. The "Holy Land Mint" brand launched in 2014 alongside the first Dove of Peace silver bullion products, with gold bars and rounds added in 2019.

The gold range spans a broad selection of sizes. Bars run from 1g through to 100g, while rounds are offered from 1/25oz up to 1oz. A 1oz gold bar is also available. All gold products are .9999 fine (24 karat), meeting or exceeding investment gold purity thresholds in every major market.

These are bullion rounds and bars, not legal tender coins. They carry no face value and are not issued by a central bank. The value proposition is the gold content itself, backed by ICMC's authentication and the Certieye optical verification system built into each product's tamper-proof sealed packaging. For buyers seeking a culturally distinctive gold product with connections to the Holy Land, the Dove of Peace fills a niche that mainstream Swiss and North American bullion does not occupy.

The design features a dove in flight carrying an olive branch, soaring over an outline of the Old City of Jerusalem walls with silhouettes of famous buildings within. The dove-and-olive-branch motif references the biblical story of Noah (Genesis 8:11), a symbol with deep cultural resonance. The design has remained consistent since 2014, with year-date changes and occasional anniversary privy marks, including a special edition for the series' 10th anniversary in 2024.

Dove of Peace Gold Product Range

Gold Bars (.9999 fine)

Gold Rounds (.9999 fine)

All Dove of Peace gold products are .9999 fine (24 karat) and ship in tamper-proof sealed protective packaging with security film. Each bar or round carries a unique serial number printed on the security/assay card. The Certieye authentication technology provides optical verification of authenticity, a system developed specifically for the Holy Land Mint's products. Bars are packaged in sealed PETG blister packaging, while rounds come in protective capsules.

The obverse across all formats displays the dove carrying an olive branch in flight above the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, with silhouettes of historic buildings visible within the city outline. The reverse carries the Holy Land Mint branding with weight and purity specifications. The design has remained consistent since the series launch in 2014, with year-date changes and occasional anniversary privy marks. The 2024 10th-anniversary edition featured a special privy mark distinguishing it from standard annual releases.

The range also includes a 1oz gold coin at .9167 fineness (22 karat), which represents a departure from the 24-karat standard used across the rest of the range. This lower purity follows the tradition of 22-karat gold coins like the Sovereign and Krugerrand, where copper alloy adds durability at the cost of fineness.

Dove of Peace Gold Tax Treatment by Country

The Dove of Peace is a privately minted bullion product with no face value or legal tender status. Tax treatment depends solely on the gold content and purity, which at .9999 fine exceeds investment gold thresholds in all major markets.

• United Kingdom: VAT-exempt as investment gold (purity exceeds 995 thousandths). Subject to CGT at the individual's rate, with a GBP 3,000 annual exemption. No CGT exemption applies because these are rounds and bars, not UK legal tender coins. Buyers seeking CGT-free gold in the UK should consider Britannia coins or Sovereigns.
• United States: IRA-eligible. The .9999 gold purity exceeds the IRS minimum of 99.5% for self-directed precious metals IRAs, allowing tax-deferred (Traditional) or tax-free (Roth) growth when held by an approved custodian. State sales tax varies by jurisdiction. Federal capital gains taxed at up to 28% as a collectible.
• Canada: GST/HST-exempt as investment-grade gold at 99.5%+ purity. Not eligible for RRSP under standard precious metals rules, which require coins issued by a government mint with face value. The Dove of Peace is a private mint product without legal tender status.
• European Union: VAT-exempt as investment gold bars/wafers of 995+ fineness under Directive 98/80/EC.
• Australia: GST-free as investment gold at 99.5%+ purity in investment form.
• Singapore: Gold bars at .9999 purity and 0.5+ troy oz weight qualify for GST exemption under the Investment Precious Metals scheme. Smaller bars below 0.5 troy oz may not qualify; buyers should verify.
• Hong Kong: No sales tax, no import duty, no capital gains tax.
• New Zealand: GST-exempt as fine gold at 99.5%+ purity.

Dove of Peace vs Swiss Bars and Sovereign Mint Coins

The Dove of Peace's most direct competition comes from Swiss bar manufacturers, particularly PAMP Suisse and Valcambi. All three produce .9999 fine gold bars in similar size ranges with individual serialisation and assay certification. PAMP and Valcambi benefit from significantly broader dealer networks, tighter bid-ask spreads on the secondary market, and the established reputation of Swiss refining. PAMP's Veriscan authentication technology is also more widely recognised than the Holy Land Mint's Certieye system. For buyers focused purely on liquidity and resale efficiency, Swiss bars remain the safer choice.

The Dove of Peace's distinctive factor is its cultural and religious symbolism. No Swiss refinery offers a product with comparable Holy Land provenance or biblical imagery. For buyers purchasing gold as a religious or commemorative gift, or for those who want their bullion holdings to carry a connection to Jerusalem, the Dove of Peace fills a niche that generic branded bars cannot. The 2023 release, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of Israel's founding, and the 2024 10th-anniversary edition both demonstrated collector interest that goes beyond the metal value alone.

Against sovereign mint coins like the Britannia, Maple Leaf, or Krugerrand, the Dove of Peace gives up legal tender status, which affects CGT treatment (no exemption in the UK), RRSP eligibility in Canada, and overall brand recognition. Sovereign coins benefit from government backing and near-universal dealer acceptance. The Dove of Peace, as a private mint product, relies on its brand and authentication rather than government authority. Premiums on the Dove of Peace are generally competitive with or below those of sovereign coins, particularly in bar form, which partially offsets the liquidity disadvantage.

The Holy Land Mint primarily distributes through US dealers (APMEX, JM Bullion, Money Metals, GovMint), with the United States serving as its largest export market. Availability in Europe, Asia, and Oceania is more limited, which narrows the buyer base compared to products from Swiss or North American mints with global distribution networks.