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How do the prices of Costco Silver and Gold Coins and Bars Compare to Online Bullion Dealers?

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In a move that caters to the growing interest among consumers, Costco has broadened its selection of precious metals, introducing an array of new coins and bars to cater to the growing interest in tangible assets. The addition includes a variety of gold and silver coins and bars from renowned mints around the world, making it easier for members to diversify their investment portfolios.

The new lineup features investment-grade bullion coins such as the American Gold Eagle, Canadian Maple Leaf, along with various sizes of gold bars from PAMP Suisse and the RAND Refinery. These offerings are tailored to both seasoned investors and those new to precious metals, providing competitive pricing that aligns with Costco’s commitment to value.

Costco is able to leverage its membership model to offer competitive pricing on precious metals, while providing members with Cash Back rewards that can be accrued alongside credit card rewards. This combination is helping to undercut traditional coin dealers or precious metals retailers.

The coin offerings have included both gold and silver coins from the US Mint and the Royal Canadian Mint. This move by Costco follows a broader trend that reflects a mainstream acceptance and interest in precious metals as both an investment and long term store of value.

US Mint

The US Mint began minting bullion coins for investors in 1986 after the passage of the Liberty Coin Act. Along with the Gold Bullion Coin Act of 1985, these two laws require the U.S. Mint to produce and sell the American Gold Eagle and the American Silver Eagle in both bullion and proof finishes in sufficient quantities to meet demand from investors and collectors.

The coins are issued as a vehicle to provide consumers with a trusted tangible asset. At the time of the introduction, the economy was in recovery from a recession that was triggered by increases in oil prices by OPEC starting around 1979 and dragged on until 1982. In the first two years of minting, more than 16,835,340 Silver Eagle coins were sold.

US Mint Gold Coins

The most popular gold coins from the U.S. Mint are the American Gold Eagle and the American Gold Buffalo. These coins are significant to investors for their gold content, legal tender status, historical and aesthetic appeal. Both coins are backed by the U.S. government, ensuring their gold content and purity.

They are both highly recognized and traded worldwide, providing liquidity to investors looking for a tangible asset.

2024 1 oz American Buffalo Gold Coin

2024 1 oz American Buffalo Gold Coin

The American Gold Buffalo was first issued in 2006 as the U.S. Mint’s answer to pure gold bullion coins like the Canadian Gold Maple Leaf. It is the first 24-karat gold coin from the U.S. Mint.

It features the classic design of the Indian Head nickel or Buffalo nickel, with an image of a Native American on the obverse and an American buffalo on the reverse, both designed by James Earle Fraser.

The Gold Buffalo is 99.99% gold (24 karats), and has a face value of $50 and is also recognized as U.S. legal tender.

One of the most recent times that the Gold Buffalo was in stock, it was priced at $2099.99. At the time, the gold spot price was trading around $2049, indicating only a $50 markup or roughly 2.5% dealer premium. Normal dealer premiums typically range from around 4% to 10% above the spot gold price. While the Costco price beats out the national bullion dealers, the gold coins have typically sold out within an hour or two as experienced investors pounce on these deals.

Costco Product Page: Item #1799474

2024 1 oz American Gold Eagle Coin

2024 1 oz American Gold Eagle Coin

Introduced in 1986, the American Gold Eagle is available from bullion dealers in four sizes: 1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, and 1/10 oz. However, only the 1 oz Gold Eagle is available from Costco, making this offer limited to investors with a larger budget.

The US Mint provides investors with fractional gold coins that allow for investors having more modest budgets to invest in a long-term store of value and wealth. This variety allows investors to choose based on their budget and investment strategy.

Costco offered the 1 oz Gold Eagle in late February with a price of $2,089.99 with each member limited to just two coins. That day, the spot gold price closed at $2,036.00 per ounce, a dealer premium of $53.99 per ounce or slightly higher than 2.5%.

Typical dealer premiums on current year gold eagles range from as low as 3.5% to around 8%. When Costco Gold Eagles are available for purchase, they are typically sold out within an hour or two. The addition of the Membership Rewards for their Executive Members offers an additional 2% cash back that can later be used on future Costco purchases, including precious metals.

Costco Product Page: Item #1804545

US Mint American Eagle Silver Coins

2024 1 oz American Silver Eagle Tube of 20 Coins

The American Silver Eagle is a one-ounce silver bullion coin issued annually by the United States Mint since 1986. A standard mint tube of Silver Eagle coins usually contains 20 coins. Each coin is one troy ounce of .999 fine silver. The coins are packed tightly in a tube to prevent movement and reduce the risk of scratching or damage during shipping.

Tubes of Silver Eagle coins are made available for sale periodically. The availability of Silver Eagle coins from Costco is limited and the pricing is typically similar to other online bullion dealers. It’s important to compare prices of Tubes of Silver Eagle Coins before making a purchase.

Costco Product Page: Item #1789494

2023 1 oz American Silver Eagle Tube of 20 Coins

Costco Product Page: Item #1799373

Royal Canadian Mint

Founded in 1908, the Royal Canadian Mint has established a global reputation for its innovative coin designs, high-quality craftsmanship, and advanced security features

The RCM is a prestigious institution, producing high-quality, pure gold and silver coins, with the Canadian Gold and Silver Maple Leafs being their flagship products. These coins are widely recognized in international markets and are considered to be a highly liquid investment.

Canadian Maple Leaf Silver Coins

2024 1 oz Canadian Maple Leaf Silver Coin Tube of 25 Coins

Maple Leaf silver coins are our Northern neighbors’ equivalent to the Silver Eagle and are suitable as an investment or store of value. The key advantages that Maple Leaf silver coins have over the Silver Eagle are:

  • .9999 Purity – The Silver Maple Leaf boasts a .9999 fine silver purity. While some investors prefer the four-nines purity, the extra nine does not add any extra value in today’s market.
  • Design and Recognition – The 2024 issue carries the King Charles’ profile on the obverse, while the iconic sugar maple leaf design is featured on the reverse. This classic reverse design has been minted annually since 1988 and is recognized and respected worldwide, ensuring the coin’s liquidity and marketability.
  • Anti-Counterfeiting and Security Measures – The Royal Canadian Mint began incorporating advanced security measures into the design of the coins in 2014, providing visual ways for investors to distinguish between fake and genuine coins.

The Maple Leaf coins were in stock on Costco’s website for a few hours recently at the price of $609.99. That puts each coin in a tube of 25 at around 24.40, with the spot price of silver that day closing at $22.08 per ounce. Typical dealer premiums are slightly higher at around $2.50 per coin.

Costco Product Page: Item #1814000

Canadian Maple Leaf 1 oz Gold Coins

The Maple Leaf 1 oz Gold Coin is the flagship bullion investment coin from the Royal Canadian Mint. It has been a mainstay with global investors since 1979. Its .9999 fine gold content makes it one of the purest investment grade gold coins available, which can be important for some investors.

Costco’s first offering of Maple Leaf gold coins including the Queen Elizabeth Memorial obverse design from last year.

A few weeks ago, the current year issue featuring the official portrait of King Charles was made available at the price of $2,219. On the same day gold spot price closed at $2,161.71 per ounce, a premium of $57.29, which is slightly higher than the lowest available price from national bullion dealers. The average premium for the Costco sale had some investors buying, with availability lasting around 17 hours.

Although the 1 oz coin is the standard, the Maple Leaf series is available in various sizes (1 gram, 1/20 oz, 1/10 oz, 1/4 oz, 1/2 oz, and 1 oz) from a variety of trusted and reputable online bullion dealers, offering flexibility for different investment budgets and strategies.

2024 1 oz Canada Maple Leaf Gold Coin (King Charles Design)

Costco Product Page: Item #1814006

PAMP Suisse

PAMP Suisse is a private mint based in Ticino, Switzerland. Established in 1977, the company has grown to become a leader in the precious metals industry with an outstanding reputation for producing gold bars of the highest quality. Each newly minted gold bar is produced to the industry standard of .9999 fineness and is accompanied by an assay certificate that guarantees its purity and weight.

PAMP Lady Fortuna Series

The Lady Fortuna series is one of the most iconic and recognizable in the gold market. Combined with PAMP Suisse’s industry leading Veriscan technology that captures the unique topographical characteristics of each gold bar. A mobile app is available that allows investors to instantly verify if a bar is authentic by uploading a series of images which are compared to those stored in Veriscan database. This anti-counterfeiting measure helps assure investors that they are buying genuine investment-grade gold bars.

PAMP 100 gram Lady Fortuna Gold Bar

Costco Product Page: Item #1801206

PAMP 50 gram Gold Bar

Costco Product Page: Item #1782174

PAMP 1 oz Lady Fortuna Gold Bar

Costco Product Page: Item #1748080

PAMP 20 gram Lady Fortuna Gold Bar

Costco Product Page: Item #1782171

Multigram+25 Gold Bars

PAMP Multigram+25 1 gram Gold Bars

Costco Product Page: Item #1811661

PAMP Rosa Series

The most distinctive feature of the Rosa series is the intricate rose design engraved on the bar’s obverse side. This design features a single rose stem with detailed petals and leaves, representing love, beauty, and elegance. The design’s sophistication and artistry make these bars stand out in the gold bullion market.

PAMP 100 Gram Rosa Gold Bar

Costco Product Page: Item #1782169

PAMP 50 gram Rosa Gold Bar

Costco Product Page:

PAMP Rosa 1 oz Gold Bar

Costco Product Page: Item #1782167

PAMP Lunar Legends Series

Like other PAMP Suisse products, the Lunar series bars are available in high purity .9999 fine gold. The designs are renowned for their intricate detailing and artistic quality. To celebrate the Year of the Dragon, PAMP Each bar features an image of the zodiac animal for that year, often depicted in a style that combines traditional and modern artistic elements.

The Azure Dragon is part of the Four Symbols and is considered important for creating balance and harmony in the environment. It is often paired with the White Tiger on the opposite side to balance yin and yang energies.

Each bar comes packaged in a tamper-evident assay card with an individual serial number and a certificate of authenticity.

PAMP Lunar Legends Azure Dragon 1 oz Gold Bar

Costco Product Page: Item #1778080

RAND Refinery

Established in 1920, The RAND Refinery plays a central role in processing gold from the renowned South African gold mines. With over a century in operation, the RAND Refinery has established a strong reputation for reliability and quality in the global precious metals market which contributes to its trusted status among investors and collectors.

Depending on the market conditions, gold bars from the RAND Refinery can be cheaper and may be more cost-effective with a lower price per ounce compared to those from other refineries. RAND Refinery’s gold bars are a highly liquid investment that is recognized and accepted worldwide.

RAND 1 oz Gold Bar

Costco Product Page: Item #1768080

RAND 100 Gram Gold Bar

Costco Product Page: Item #1796444

Costco’s expansion into the precious metals market by adding more coins and bars to its lineup demonstrates the company’s response to increased consumer demand for tangible investments as a store of value and wealth. This expansion not only broadens the investment options for Costco members but also signifies the growing trend of retail investment in precious metals.

Moreover, Costco’s foray into precious metals is complemented by its robust online platform and in-store services, ensuring secure and convenient purchases. With this expansion, Costco aims to solidify its position in the precious metals market, among industry veterans like APMEX, JM Bullion, Bullion Exchanges and SD Bullion, offering an accessible path for its members to invest in physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium.

Precious metals coins are government backed with a guarantee for their purity and weight. They are purposely minted as a long term store of value and wealth that have historically been an effective hedge against inflation and currency devaluation.

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Costco Adds More Coins & Bars to Precious Metals Lineup

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The membership warehouse club Costco, best known for their $1.50 hotdog and soda combo, began offering precious metals last year through their website and available for sale inside some select locations.

The initial product lineup include a variety of 1 oz Gold Bars from PAMP Suisse and RAND Refinery. After initial success, they began offering American Silver Eagles in tubes of 20 coins, which certainly increased awareness and interest.

Costco’s expansion into the precious metals market by adding more coins and bars to its lineup demonstrates an increase in consumer demand for tangible investment assets. This expansion not only broadens the investment options for Costco members but also signifies the growing trend of retail investment in precious metals.

Costco is well-known for its competitive prices and customer-friendly policies and services, both of which contribute to its strong reputation and popularity among consumers. The way that the retailer is able to leverage its membership model to offer competitive pricing on precious metals, potentially undercutting traditional coin dealers or precious metals retailers. With some analysts suggesting this move by Costco reflects broader trends in the retail and investment sectors, indicating a mainstream acceptance and interest in precious metals investment.

2024 Canada 1 oz Gold Maple Leaf in Assay Card from the Royal Canadian Mint

2024 Canada 1 oz Gold Maple Leaf

The 1 oz Maple Leaf is the flagship investment-grade gold bullion coin from the Royal Canadian Mint, the official government mint of Canada.

The Gold Maple Leaf is minted with gold that is refined to a purity level of .9999 millesimal fineness (24 carats). Additionally, the Maple Leaf series includes advanced anti-counterfeiting enhancements into the coin’s design, such as radial lines and micro-engraved laser etchings.

When compared with other investment-grade coins, the premiums for Maple Leaf gold coins are extremely competitive.

Costco is known for keeping product markups low, which helps keep prices competitive and attractive to shoppers. While these coins are only available from Costco during certain times with limited quantities, dealer premiums for 1 oz Gold Maple Leaf coins range from as low as 2% to as high as 8%, depending on the seller.

2024 US 1 oz American Gold Eagle

2024 US 1 oz American Eagle Gold Coin from the US Mint

Following up on the success of the American Silver Eagles, Costco began periodically offering its gold counterpart. The 2024 1 oz American Gold Eagle is the flagship gold investment coin from the US Mint. Introduced in 1986, this coin has been a mainstay for investors for nearly 40 years.

The current obverse of the coin features a famous rendition of Lady Liberty that was originally featured on the St Gauden’s Gold coin.

The reverse of the Gold Eagle was redesigned in 2021 and features the head of a bald eagle in the center.

Around the head of the eagle, inscriptions are included for the United States of America and the notable latin phrase “E Pleribus Unum”, which translates to In God We Trust. Other inscriptions are included for the weight and $50 dollar face value.

While Costco is known for their low prices, they seem to time their offerings when the spot price of gold remains fairly stable. There have been reports on social media where Costco has increased the price of an item during the sales period. When Costco does have a gold or silver offer live on their website, the quantity available remains unknown to buyers. Though on average, the flash sales seem to average between 4 and 6 hours.

The 2024 1 oz Gold Eagle is a standard bullion issue investment coin and are readily available from most online bullion dealers and local coin shops. Premiums from local coin shops can vary greatly, while online premiums are as low as 3.5% to as high as 9% over the spot price of gold.

PAMP Suisse Gold Bars

PAMP Suisse Multigram-25 1 gram gold bars

The PAMP Suisse Lady Fortuna 1 oz gold bars was one of the initial precious metals offerings from Costco. The Lady Fortuna design is one of the most widely recognized gold bar in the world.

Lady Fortuna is the Roman goddess of luck, chance, and fortune, both good and bad. The age-old saying “Luck is blind” could probably be attributed to the story of Fortuna. She is shown blindfolded and holding a cornucopia spilling over with wealth and riches and a wheel of fortune.

PAMP Suisse has been using the design of their premier line of gold bars since the 1980s. Recently, Costco began offering other sizes of PAMP Suisse Gold Bars that include larger sizes, like the 50 gram gold bar, and even fractional 1 gram gold bars.

The PAMP Suisse 1 gram gold bars that are sold by Costco are part of the PAMP Multigram+25 set. The set includes 25 individual 1 gram gold that are each encased in their own mini assay card. The larger assay card is perforated to allow for easy divisibility should you need to gift, trade or sell a portion.

The obverse of each of the bars feature the same beautiful Lady Fortuna design as the larger bars. While the reverse each bar is emblazoned with the PAMP Suisse logo at the top. It also displays each bar’s weight, purity, and serial number.

Costco does not have a precious metals buyback program and their sale comes with special terms and conditions that explicitly state that all sales are final and not returnable.

Some local coin shops may carry some of the PAMP Suisse products, while the Multigram line of products from PAMP often has variable availability amongst online dealers. Premiums for fractional gold bars are generally higher due to the increase in manufacturing costs, with ranges from online dealers ranging from as low as 16% to as high as 30%.

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PAMP Suisse and Activision Collaborate on Gold and Silver Bars to Celebrate 20th Anniversary of Call of Duty Modern Warfare III

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To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Call of Duty video game franchise, Activision has partnered with PAMP Suisse to develop a line of limited edition silver and gold bars featuring the imagery from the game.

The obverse shows the outline of a shield with a game character dressed in military fatigues along with the franchise title “Call of Duty” in vertical orientation. The reverse shows a diagonal pattern of Call of Duty Modern Warfare III logo, with the makers hallmark, weight and purity in the center and includes a unique serial number that is also printed on the matching assay card.

Additionally, all of the COD silver and gold bars include a code that is redeemable for a bonus in-game weapon charm.

Further details can be found in the press release from MKS PAMP.

PAMP Suisse

Founded in 1977 and based in Ticino, Switzerland, PAMP is one of the world’s leading bullion brands, known for its high-quality gold, silver, platinum, and palladium products. The company produces a wide range of bullion products, including bars, coins, and ingots, which are popular among investors and collectors alike for their purity, craftsmanship, and innovative designs.

PAMP Suisse gold bars come with an assay certificate, which guarantees the purity, weight, and authenticity of the bar. Each PAMP Suisse gold bar is individually serialized, which aids in authentication and adds to its collectibility. While the intrinsic value of the gold itself is a significant factor in the value, the collectibility of these limited edition bars can add a premium above the spot price of gold.

Call of Duty

“Call of Duty” is an influential and popular first-person shooter video game franchise developed and published by Activision. The series began with the launch of the original “Call of Duty” game on October 29, 2003. The game was initially set in World War II and was praised for its immersive storytelling, realistic gameplay, and engaging multiplayer modes. Over the years, the franchise has expanded to include various settings, including modern times, futuristic worlds, and even space.

“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare” is an update of the original game that features missions that mirror modern military conflicts and tactics. The franchise itself is developed and published by Activision, with various development studios working on different entries, including Infinity Ward, Treyarch, and Sledgehammer Games.

The original “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare” launched in November 2007 and was a pivotal game in the series, marking a shift from World War II settings to contemporary battlefields and significantly influencing the first-person shooter genre with its realistic gameplay, narrative depth, and multiplayer modes.

The “Call of Duty” franchise boasts millions of active players across its various titles and has extended its reach beyond video games into a broad array of merchandise and media, including Action figures, LEGO sets, gaming peripherals like branded controllers, headsets, and mouse pads and narrative extensions of the franchise’s storylines, offering deeper dives into its lore and characters.

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Gold bars for every budget

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Gold is the one thing that is universally recognized worldwide as a store of value. Virtually anywhere in the world where you can find a local coin shop or precious metals broker, you can exchange a gold bar for local currency.

Gold bars have become increasingly popular among investors for their affordability, flexibility, and convenience. Investment grade gold bars are manufactured by both private mints as well as government minting operations all over the world. Most are minted with 24k pure gold that refined to a purity of 99.99%.

They are available in a variety of sizes, from as small as a half of a gram, up to as large as a 1 kilogram. While the most common size is the 1 oz gold bar, it’s not always practical or budget friendly to purchase those on a regular basis.

Investing in fractional gold bars allows for more precision in investment size and it makes it easier to sell only a portion at a time compared to larger bars. They are an ideal choice for those looking to start small.

Many investors find that it is more affordable to buy fractional gold bars on a recurring basis as a convenient way to stack gold. Buying a few grams of gold every week or two quickly adds up to a full ounce.

PAMP Suisse is one of the most trusted names in precious metals. In addition to their Lady Fortuna gold bars, some new designs are available. Those include the Arabian Horse 5 Gram Gold Bar, which shows an Arabian stallion galloping across the desert dunes. The background is etched with a circle and triangle motif on a proof like surface. The reverse contains the same etched background along with the pertinent details related to weight and purity.

Stepping up in budget is the Rosa 10 gram gold bar, which features a simple, yet elegant, etch rose design on a smooth, polished background. These limited mintage bars have the PAMP Suisse hallmark stamped on the back with the purity, weight and individual serial number.

As much of the world uses the metric system, dozens of private refineries from all parts of world manufacture gram denominated gold bars. FindBullionPrices.com tracks the prices of products that are available for sale in the United States. While other weights may be available in other markets, in addition to the 1 gram bar, the most common fractional gold bar sizes found here are 20 gram, 10 gram, 5 gram, 2.5 gram and 2 gram.

We track prices of the manufacturers that are most commonly sold throughout the country, both through online dealers and also available in some local coin shops and other bullion retailers. In addition to PAMP, the list private mints that issue gram denominated bars include Valcambi, Emirates, IGR and Argor-Heraeus.

The variety of private and sovereign mints is greater for investors looking for larger gold bars.

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How to Verify a PAMP Suisse Gold Bar? 

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PAMP Suisse has made it easy to verify the authenticity of their products with the Veriscan app that is available for the App Store for iPhones and iPads.

PAMP Suisse Veriscan Instant Authentication Mobile App

The surface of all precious metals have microscopic topographic features that are as unique as human fingerprints. Using the app, you can scan the front surface of the bar, allowing the app to interpret the surface topography of the bar, which is then compared against the data stored in the PAMP VERISCAN database. The app will display an affirmative result for authentic products and issue a failing result for products that it suspects may be counterfeit. 

The PAMP Suisse Veriscan Mobile Application can be used to authenticate gold, silver and platinum bars that are issued by PAMP Suisse, along with bullion coins and bars that are issued by a handful of other established mints that include the Royal Australian Mint, Bank of China, Lombard Bank Malta and UBS.

Larger silver bars and gold bars can be scanned from any of the six sides of the bar.

All PAMP Suisse Veriscan enabled products are issued with a unique QR code, when scanned with the app, allows the lookup of the specific bar’s topographic features that were scanned during the manufacturing process.

After scanning, the Veriscan app will open a corresponding page that contains all of the details of the bar, including its weight, purity, mint mark, and serial number. 

This allows you to compare this information from the mint with the information from the packaging of your PAMP Suisse product. If they match, you have a genuine PAMP Suisse product. Having the application verify PAMP Suisse products allows greater confidence in the authenticity of your gold bar. If they do not match, verify that the you’ve followed the provided instruction to determine if your product is counterfeit.

Instruction for scanning larger size PAMP Suisse Silver Bars and Gold Bars are available in the application’s menu. When scanning larger size bars, the Veriscan application provides options to choose which sides of the product will be scanned. Authenticating larger PAMP gold and silver bars is easy with the enhanced authentication option, which can scan any of the six sides of a gold, silver, or platinum bar. 

The PAMP Suisse Veriscan App can be downloaded from the Apple App Store directly to your iPhone or iPad for easy verification and authentication at home.

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2023 Black Friday Bullion Deals

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Black Friday Bullion Deals from online dealers is an annual tradition where retailers provide significant discounts to kickstart the holiday shopping season. Many of the leading online bullion retailers participate by offering discounts and deals on various precious metals items. This typically include offers for both investors and collectors.

In previous years, APMEX has offered a variety of doorbuster deals, offering discounted premiums, including any quantity pricing along with several spot price deals.

Pre-Black Friday Bullion Deals

The end of year is the perfect time to stack extra precious metals as a way to set aside some funds and be prepared next year and several dealers are already showing price drops for the upcoming Black Friday week sales.

SD Bullion

SD Bullion has begun their pre-Black Friday sale, with a deal for Silver Kilo Bars on sale for as low as 79 cents over spot per ounce in quantity. For individual bars, the premium is around $1.39 per ounce, by far the lowest available premiums for silver kilos.

For gold buyers, SD Bullion has a special offer on Johnson Matthey 1 oz Gold Bars. The premium for the first bar is just $9.99 over spot, with additional bars available at the discounted premium of $29.99.

Bullion Exchanges

Bullion Exchanges is showing prices as low as $0.70 Over Spot per oz on Italpreziosi 100 oz Silver Bars. These bars are also offered at a discounted premium through the Bullion Exchanges eBay store, which includes all credit card and PayPal fees and may be eligible for rewards points, cashback and other offers. They are also offering similar pricing on Germania Mint 100 oz Cast Silver Bars.

Bullion Exchanges has posted offers across all price points. From 5 oz Silver Bars from the Argentia Mint, to discounts on monster boxes and tubes of American Silver Eagle coins.

A variety of gold bars are on sale, ranging from as small as 5 grams to multipacks of 1 gram bars and 1 oz gold bars.

For those looking for lowest premiums should check out the variety of 100 ounce silver options available at Bullion Exchanges. These include lots of twenty 5 oz silver bars, lots of ten 10 oz silver bars, various bundles of 100 oz in silver rounds. If you’re looking to make an even larger investment, Monster Boxes with 500 oz of 1 oz silver rounds are also available.

Check out the Bullion Exchanges Black Friday Deals page for more details.

Monument Metals

Monument Metals has announced a special deal on Nadir Refinery 10 oz Silver Bars. Purchase two 10 oz silver bars and receive the second at spot price! They have created a special page on their website that includes the discounted pricing.

Be sure to check out the Monument Metals Deals page for more Cyber Week offers.

Scottsdale Mint

The Scottsdale Mint has announced a variety of discount offers. Deals are available on Scottsdale Stacker Bars, 1 oz silver rounds, 2 oz silver coins, fractional gold bars and more. Check out the deals page on their website for more information.

Silver At Spot Price Deals

This year, numerous dealers are expected to offer silver at spot deals with limited quantities available.

APMEX

APMEX has announced a variety of offers to start on Black Friday and continue through Cyber Week. These will include several deals at spot price and site-wide “any quantity” pricing, which is typically reserved for bulk quantity orders.

They are offering an addition 10% back in rewards for holders of the APMEX Bullion Card Visa Card.

APMEX is offering Poured Kilo Silver bars at spot price! You can also download the APMEX App from the deals page to get early access to APMEX Black Friday deals.

SD Bullion

The Doc has added additional offers to the early Black Friday Sale. The best deal so far, is the silver at spot price deal on their 10th Anniversary 1 oz Silver Rounds.

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Is the Costco Gold Bar a Good Deal?

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While best known for its large selection of consumer goods and services ranging from groceries to electronics to clothing, travel booking, insurance, and optical, Costco has recently added several 1 oz gold bars to their lineup.

1 oz Gold Bars Rand Refinery

Periodically, warehouse club now periodically offers both Rand Refinery 1 oz Gold Bars and PAMP Suisse 1 oz Gold Bars available for sale on their website.

When the bars are available on the retailer’s website, members must be logged into their account in order to see the pricing. The pricing is based on the spot gold price, plus a traditional retail markup that conforms with their pricing model.

Observations comparing recent sales show against the prevailing gold spot price during the same time have shown that the premium appears to be in the range of 2.3%-3%.

“I’ve gotten a couple of calls that people have seen online that we’ve been selling one-ounce gold bars,” CFO Richard Galanti told investors during a recent quarterly earnings call.

“Yes, but when we load them on the (web)site, they’re typically gone within a few hours and we limit two per member.”

Both of the brands that Costco has made available so far are also readily available from many trusted and reputable online bullion dealers.

In general, gold bars come with lower premiums over the spot price of gold than coins. Meaning, investors can often get more gold for their money when buying bars compared to coins.

1 oz Gold Bar PAMP Suisse Lady Fortuna Veriscan

Buying gold bars from Costco may be a convenient option for some investors, but it is important to consider other factors before making a purchase.

Costco sells only a single gold denomination

Both PAMP Suisse and RAND Refinery offer fractional gold bars that are available at a variety of price points, making them more affordable to a larger group of investors looking for a trusted store of value.

The Lady Fortuna line has been PAMP’s signature line for decades and fractional gold bars are available sizes as small as one gram and in industry standard increments of 5 gram, 10 gram, and 20 gram. These fractional gold bars are more accessible and also make an excellent store of value.

Costco does not offer a buyback program for gold bullion. So when it comes time to sell, you will need to find a different gold buyer. Looking through the number of bullion dealers and coin stores in your area is a good way to check how easy it might be to sell locally.

Online bullion dealers update their prices in real-time according to changing market conditions, while Costco prices their gold bars at a fixed price. These bars are sold only on their website for a limited time.

Depending on the timing of your purchase, this could lead to paying a substantially higher premium to Costco for the same 1 oz gold bar than you might from an online bullion dealer.

Costco also has a strict no returns policy for bullion products, which deviates from their normal return policies.

Cheaper Alternatives to Costco Gold Bars

The PAMP Suisse Azure Dragon 1 oz Gold Bars that are offered by Costco are an excellent value for collectors, as these bars are a limited mintage and quickly sell out from online bullion dealers when they are available.

RAND Refinery is a large South African company that produces a variety of gold bars for investors, often at a much lower premium than other mints.

There are many private mints, like RAND, that have longstanding and trusted reputations of delivering pure .9999 fine gold to both industry and investors. These refiners have long standing affiliations with international gold markets like the LBMA, Shanghai Exchange and COMEX.

Some are based here in the United States, such as Sunshine Minting, located in Coere d’Alene, Idaho, which has been operating as a full service private mint since 1979. Sunshine Mint 1 oz Gold Bars incorporate the MintMark SI security feature on the reverse and etched with a unique serial number. This will match the assay card that comes encapsulated with newly minted bars.

Arizona based Scottsdale Minting produces coins on behalf of a variety of governments and issues both gold bars and rounds for investors and collectors under their own hallmark.

Scottsdale Mint 1 oz Gold bars often contain innovative designs that incorporate advanced security features and laser etched features.

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China Adds Gold to Reserves for Sixth Consecutive Month

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China’s central bank has been on a buying spree that has so far spanning six months. In April, the bank added an additional 8.09 tons of gold to its reserves, now topping 2,076.47 tons.

As a reference, that much gold is the equivalent to 8,090 kilo gold bars.

During the first quarter of the year reserves at central banks increased by a whopping 228.4 tons as backlash against the dollar continues.

Announcements are expected during the upcoming BRICS summit this summer regarding the formation of a new basket currency.

There’s been lots of rumor and speculation with a few official leaks of small bits of information.

Here’s a few things that we know:

  • A new basket currency is being created that will be a combination of five currencies: Chinese RMB Yuan, the Russian Ruble, the Indian Rupee, the Brazilian Real and the South African Rand.
  • This new basket currency will be an alternative to the IMF’s Special Drawing Right.
  • Pavel Knyazev, Deputy Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Foreign Policy Planning Department stated that member states are “actively studying mechanisms” to exchange financial information to develop a reliable alternative for international payments.

Recent central bank gold holdings by BRICS members:

  • Brazil:  CEIC Data reports that Brazil is currently holding 7,602 tons, down from 8,036 tons reported in January. A significant drop 434 tons. Speculation is that some of this gold may have gone to China in exchange for yuan currency to hold in its reserves following the recent local currency trade agreement.
  • Russia: Trending Economics reports that Russia’s reserves are currently at 2326.52 tons, up from 2298.53, currently the highest ever reported by the country. Last year’s sanctions placed by the Biden Admin included Russia being booted from the LBMA. Some of the gold that would’ve been sold at the market exchange likely ended up being stacked in the country’s reserves. Additionally, Russia responded to the sanctions by exchanging gold for rubles within Russia, helping to keep the economy prosperous.
  • India: Recent news reports show that RBI added 34.22 metric tonnes of gold in the fiscal year that ended March 31, 2023, taking the total gold reserves up to 794.64 metric tonnes.
  • China: According to the World Gold Council, the PBoC reports that as of April they have added a whopping 120 tons since November 2022. The most recent reports show 2,076.47 metric tons in holding.
  • South Africa: Trending Economics reports the country’s reserves include only 125.38 tonnes, significantly less than the others in the group. However, South Africa is also a major gold producer with annual mining exports topping 110 tonnes in 2022.
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Russian Agents Detain Man Smuggling 25 kg of Gold Bars in Luggage

FindBullionPrices.com

Russian authorities have detained a man at Domodedovo Airport in Moscow on suspicion of gold smuggling. Customs officials were alerted about suspicious items and searched inside the man’s luggage.

During the search, officials say they uncovered two recently minted gold bars weighing a combined total of 24.75 kg.

The man has not been identify has not been released by authorities. However, a video circulating on social media shows what appears to be a man in custody in an office with authorities photographing two 400 troy ounce LBMA-style gold bars laying out on a desk.

The gold bars are both stamped with РОССИЯ, the hallmark of the Russian Federation.

The bar in the top part of the frame is hallmarked with the insignia for Novosibirsk Siberia. Novosibirsk is home to the headquarters of a legendary gold refinery and bar manufacturing plant that was built during the USSR period.

The second bar shows the hallmark for Krastsvetmet. Krastsvetmet was established in 1943 during World War II with a focus on platinum group metals.

The gold refinery at Kastsvetmet opened in 1959 but was updated and expanded during the 1990s and is now the largest refiner of newly mined gold in the Russian Federation.

Prior to sanctions being implemented in response to the Ukrainian War, Russia had eight refineries that were listed a Good Delivery providers having LBMA Accreditation

The Russian News service reports that the man faces 3 to 7 years in prison for smuggling.