5 oz AARUS Silver Bar

A Canadian Four-Nines Silver Bar

The 5 oz AARUS Silver Bar comes from a Canadian precious metals brand producing 999.9 fine (four nines) silver and gold bullion. AARUS is not LBMA accredited, positioning it as a boutique alternative to the major North American refiners. The four-nines purity is a distinguishing feature, exceeding the standard .999 fineness found on most silver bars in this weight class.

For buyers in the 5 oz silver bar category, AARUS offers a slightly different proposition than brands like the 5 oz APMEX bar or the Sunshine Minting equivalent. The 999.9 purity places it alongside products from the Royal Canadian Mint and Germania Mint, which also refine to four-nines. In practice, the difference between .999 and .9999 is negligible in terms of silver content (an extra 0.14 grams per 5 oz bar), but it signals higher refining standards and may appeal to buyers who prefer the highest available purity.

As a smaller Canadian brand without LBMA accreditation, AARUS bars will typically trade at or near melt value on the secondary market. Their primary appeal is the combination of Canadian provenance, four-nines purity, and pricing that tends to be competitive with generic bars from larger mints.

5 oz AARUS Bar Specifications

The .9999 purity is notably higher than the industry-standard .999 for silver bars. This level of refinement matches what the Royal Canadian Mint achieves with its products and exceeds the minimum purity thresholds for tax-exempt treatment in all major bullion markets. Canadian origin means the bar meets domestic GST/HST exemption criteria without question. The practical difference between .999 and .9999 fine silver is minimal in terms of actual silver content: at 5 troy ounces, a .999 bar contains 155.36 grams of pure silver while a .9999 bar contains 155.50 grams, a difference of approximately 0.14 grams. The significance of four-nines purity is primarily about refining capability and quality assurance rather than meaningful additional metal content. For authentication purposes, standard silver verification tests (weight, dimensions, magnet slide, sigma) apply equally to .9999 bars.

Tax Position for 5 oz Silver Bars in Canada and Beyond

The AARUS bar's .9999 purity exceeds every jurisdiction's purity threshold for tax-exempt silver treatment, making its tax position straightforward across all major markets.

• Canada: GST/HST exempt. Silver bars and coins at 99.9% purity or above in bar, ingot, coin, or wafer form qualify for zero-rated treatment under federal rules. No provincial variation applies to this exemption. At .9999 fine, the AARUS bar clears this threshold comfortably.
• United States: State-dependent sales tax. Approximately 35 states fully exempt bullion. Capital gains taxed at the 28% collectibles rate for holdings over one year.
• United Kingdom: 20% VAT on silver bars. No CGT exemption (not legal tender). Silver bars carry both VAT on purchase and CGT on disposal.
• Australia: GST-free for investment-grade silver at 99.9% or higher purity. The .9999 fineness qualifies.
• New Zealand: GST-exempt at 99.9% purity in bar form.
• Singapore: GST-exempt under the IPM scheme for silver at .999 purity or above.
• Hong Kong: No sales tax of any kind. No import duty.
• European Union: Standard VAT applies to silver bars (17-27% by country). Margin scheme may apply to pre-owned bars in Germany and the Netherlands.