You’ve decided to own physical gold. Congratulations, you’ve chosen the hardest money humans have ever agreed on. Now comes the part most new stackers mess up: understanding exactly what you’re buying and how not to overpay.
This is your no-nonsense field guide.
1. Purity (Fineness) – The Only Number That Actually Matters
Gold is measured in karats (24 kt = pure) or fineness (parts per thousand).
| Common Purity | Fineness | What It Actually Is | Acceptable for Stacking? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 kt | .999+ | Essentially pure gold | Yes |
| 22 kt | .9166 | Traditional coinage (Krugerrand, etc.) | Yes |
| 18 kt | .750 | Jewelry (too much alloy) | No |
| 14 kt | .585 | Jewelry | No |
| 10 kt | .416 | U.S. legal minimum for “gold” jewelry | No |
Rule for stackers: Buy only .999 (“three nines”) or better, or recognized 22 kt / .900 classic coins (pre-1933 $20 Saints/Liberty, British Sovereigns, etc.). Everything else is jewelry with a terrible melt value.
2. Weight Systems – Don’t Get Confused
The world uses two systems. Know both.
- Troy ounces (the one gold uses) 1 troy oz = 31.1035 grams 1 troy oz = 1.097 avoirdupois (normal) ounces
- Grams (most of the modern world) Common bar sizes: 1g, 5g, 10g, 50g, 100g, 1 kilo Common coin sizes: 1/10 oz, 1/4 oz, 1/2 oz, 1 oz
Never pay “per ounce” thinking it’s the same ounce you use in the kitchen.
3. The Premium Pyramid – Where Most People Overpay
Spot price is what you see on TV. What you actually pay is spot + premium.
| Product Type | Typical Premium Over Spot (2025) | Liquidity When Selling | Best Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large cast bars (400 oz, kilo) | 0.5–2% | Highest | Institutional / lowest cost per oz |
| 100g–250g cast or minted bars | 2–4% | Very high | Serious stackers |
| 1 oz minted bars (PAMP, Perth, Valcambi) | 3–6% | High | Balance of cost + recognizability |
| 1 oz government coins (Maple, Eagle, Philharmonic, Britannia) | 4–7% | Highest | Most flexible, universal recognition |
| 1/10 oz or 1/4 oz coins | 8–18% | Good | Divisibility / barter, but expensive per oz |
| “Numismatic” or “rare” coins | 20–500%+ | Varies wildly | Usually a trap for new buyers |
Rule of thumb: The smaller the piece, the higher the premium. Pay high premiums only if you genuinely need small denominations for worst-case scenarios.
4. The Recognizability Tax – Worth Paying (Sometimes)
A generic 1 oz round from “Random Mint LLC” might cost 2–3% over spot. The exact same weight from the Perth Mint or Royal Canadian Mint costs 5–6%. That extra 3% is insurance: in a crisis, the recognized name sells faster and closer to spot.
5. Real-World Pricing Example (Nov 2025, spot = $2,650/oz)
| Item | Dealer Ask | Premium | Total Cost | Cost per oz (if fractional) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 kilo PAMP bar | $85,900 | 1.9% | $85,900 | $2,680 |
| 10 × 1 oz Canadian Maples | $28,100 | 5.8% | $2,810/oz | $2,810 |
| 1 oz generic round | $2,715 | 2.5% | $2,715 | — |
| 1/10 oz Eagle | $315 | 18.9% | $3,150/oz | — |
Yes, you pay $435 more for ten 1/10 oz Eagles than one 1 oz coin of the same total weight. That’s the price of divisibility.
6. The Only Three Questions Before You Buy
- Is it .999 (or legitimate 22 kt / .900 coin)?
- Am I paying a reasonable premium for the size and form factor I actually need?
- Can I take immediate delivery or is it “allocated” in someone else’s vault?
If the answer to all three is yes, buy. If any answer is no, walk away.
Final Stacking Cheat Sheet
- First 50–100 oz → focus on lowest premium 1 oz coins or 100g–kilo bars
- Next 100–200 oz → mix of 1 oz coins + kilo bars
- After 200 oz → move heavily into kilo or 400 oz bars, store in professional vault
- Keep 5–10% in 1/10 oz or 1g bars for potential barter (expensive, but cheap insurance)
Gold stacking isn’t complicated once you ignore the hype and focus on three numbers: purity, weight, and total cost per ounce.
Buy slowly, buy smart, and never pay numismatic prices for bullion. Your future self in the next financial crisis will thank you.
NOTE
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