<P> A gold bar, also called gold bullion or a gold ingot, is a quantity of refined metallic gold of any shape that is made by a bar producer meeting standard conditions of manufacture, labeling, and record keeping . Larger gold bars that are produced by pouring the molten metal into molds are called ingots . Smaller bars may be manufactured by minting or stamping from appropriately rolled gold sheets . The standard gold bar held as gold reserves by central banks and traded among bullion dealers is the 400 - troy - ounce (12.4 kg or 438.9 ounces) Good Delivery gold bar . The kilobar, which is 1000 grams in mass (32.15 troy ounces), is the bar that is more manageable and is used extensively for trading and investment . The premium on these bars when traded is very low over the spot value of the gold making it ideal for small transfers between banks and traders . Most kilobars are flat, although some investors, particularly in Europe, prefer the brick shape . Asian markets differ in that they prefer gram gold bars as opposed to Troy ounce measurements . Popular sizes in the Asian region includes 10 grams, 100 grams and 1000 gram bars . </P> <P> Based upon how they are manufactured gold bars are categorised as having been cast or minted with both differing in their appearance and price . Cast bars are created in a similar method to that of ingots whereby molten gold is poured into a bar shaped mold and left to solidify . This process often leads to malformed bars with uneven surfaces which, although imperfect, make each bar unique and easier to identify . Cast bars are also cheaper compared to those that are minted because they are quicker to produce and require less handling . </P>

How heavy is a bar of gold bullion