Gold and silver prices: spot, premiums, and resale bids

What does the spot price tell you?

Spot is a market reference commonly quoted per troy ounce. A retail coin or bar quote also reflects the specific product and transaction. Check the metal, currency, fine weight, source, and time of the reference used in a comparison.

Why physical bullion has a premium

Turning metal into a finished product involves fabrication and distribution. Size, availability, and issue can affect the premium. A smaller item may have a different cost per ounce from a larger one, even when the combined metal content is equal. Use the same fine-ounce basis to make the comparison meaningful.

A simple gold price comparison

Imagine a reference value of $2,000 per fine ounce and a one-ounce product offered at $2,120. The difference is $120, or 6% of the reference value, before additional charges. These deliberately illustrative numbers are not today’s gold price or an offer. For a half-ounce item, first halve the reference value before calculating its premium.

The resale bid answers a different question

The price you pay and the amount a dealer would pay you are different quotes. Ask for a same-day bid for the exact product and condition. Consider any further selling charges. A rise in the metal reference price does not automatically mean that a purchase has recovered its total costs.

Use one comparison sheet for gold and silver

Keep a separate row for each product so different weights and metals do not get mixed together.

• Product name, quantity, and fine ounces.
• Time-stamped reference price and full purchase amount.
• Current resale bid and any additional fees.
• Delivery or storage terms and the quote’s expiration.

Compare two quotes in the total-cost worksheet

Looking for today’s gold or silver price?

This page explains how to read a quote; it does not supply a live spot feed. Obtain a time-stamped reference from an identified market source, then request a current dealer quote for the actual coin or bar. Record the currency and fine-ounce basis. A search-result price or an old screenshot is not a binding delivered purchase price.