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What is the difference between a bar and a coin?

Coins have a legal tender value and are produced by sovereign government mints. Coins usually have very detailed designs which may be different or the same every year. Coins usually come in denominations of 2 troy ounce, 1 troy ounce, 1/2 troy ounce, 1/4 troy ounce, 1/10 troy ounce, 1/25 troy ounce and more.
For coins with different designs every year, there are higher chances for the gold coins to gain semi-numismatic value over time.

For example, older coins from the infamous China Panda Gold Coin range produced by China Mint can sell for a higher price as compared to its gold melt value.

Bars are rectangular slabs produced by both private mints and sovereign government mints. For Gold Bars, they usually come with serial numbers and assay certificates. Gold Bars usually come in denominations of 1kilogram, 500 gram, 100 gram, 50 gram, 1 troy ounce (31.1 gram), 20 gram, 10 gram, 5 gram, 2.5 gram and 1 gram.

Generally, Gold, Silver and Platinum Bars have lower premiums over spot compared to coins. They are favored mostly by investors who are looking to purchase larger quantities of gold as they save on premiums (compared to purchasing coins).

Bars do not hold the same semi-numismatic opportunity as coins and do not have a legal tender value. Collectors would usually prefer coins for this matter.