How much is a gold coin worth?
A gold coin's worth has two parts: its melt value (the pure-gold content × the current spot price) and a premium on top. For common bullion coins the premium is small — usually 3–8% over melt — because they are bought for their metal. Collectible (numismatic) coins can trade at many times their melt value because of rarity, condition and history. The table above shows melt value; add the premium your dealer quotes to get the retail price.
Popular gold coins and their gold content
The world's most-traded one-ounce bullion coins all contain exactly one troy ounce (31.1035 g) of pure gold, but differ in purity and design:
- South African Krugerrand — 22K (91.67%), the original modern bullion coin, minted heavier to hold a full ounce of fine gold.
- American Gold Eagle — 22K, US legal tender, one of the most recognised coins worldwide.
- Canadian Gold Maple Leaf — 24K (99.99%), prized for its high purity.
- British Britannia — 24K, UK legal tender and Capital Gains Tax-free for UK residents.
- British Sovereign — 22K, a historic 7.32 g fine-gold coin (0.2354 oz), widely traded across the UK, India and the Gulf.
Gold coin premiums explained
Coins cost more than the raw metal because minting, distribution and legal-tender status add cost. Smaller coins carry a higher percentage premium than larger ones — a 1/10 oz coin costs proportionally more to produce than a 1 oz coin, so its premium over melt is larger. When comparing offers, look at the premium over melt (the figures above), not just the sticker price.
Gold coins vs gold bars vs gold biscuits
For the lowest premium per gram, gold bars are usually cheapest, especially larger sizes. Gold coins cost a little more but are more liquid, instantly recognisable and easier to sell in small amounts. A gold biscuit — a small flat bar popular across South Asia and the Gulf, typically 24K in 5 g, 10 g, 1 tola or 50 g — sits between the two: bar-like pricing in a compact, giftable format. All three are valued from the same live gold rate; only the premium differs.
Gold biscuit & 1 tola coin prices
In Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and the Gulf, small gold is bought as biscuits and tola coins. A 10 g gold biscuit or a 1 tola (11.66 g) coin is priced as its 24K gold weight × the local gold rate, plus a modest premium. Because these are near-pure gold with low premiums, they are a common way to save in gold. Use the gold converters to price any weight in your own currency.