26. Why do gold coins and gold bars cost more than the price of gold?
The international prices of gold and silver are the prices that are used for very large volumes. If, as an investor, you want to buy a smaller gold bar or investment coins, those large gold bars (London Good Delivery) of 400 troy ounces (12.5 kilos) must first be melted and prepared. Additional costs are forbidden for the minting of coins and bars, which will be passed on to the customer. For coins produced in a relatively small mintage, these costs are usually higher than for coins with a very large mintage. It differs per type of coin and bar how much profit margin the producer charges. A small profit margin for the selling party is also included. That explains why you usually pay a few tens of euros more than the gold price for a gold coin of 1 troy ounce.
