Bars are cheaper per gram, coins are easier to sell on. If you are investing a larger sum for the long term, big bars are the most efficient route. If you need divisibility and maximum liquidity, take one-ounce coins. For most people, a mix is the sensible answer.
The cost advantage is unambiguous: the larger the unit, the lower the premium. On a kilo bar you pay around two percent over spot, on a single gram about five. On a €10,000 investment that is several hundred euros of difference — money you do not get back when you sell.
Large bars are also easy to store. A kilo bar of gold is barely bigger than a smartphone and fits in any deposit box. With modern bars in an assay card, verification is straightforward too: the serial number and the seal make proof simple.
For sums from about €5,000 that are meant to sit untouched for a while, 100 g and kilo bars are usually the most economical form.
The advantage of the Krugerrand, Maple Leaf, Vienna Philharmonic and American Eagle is how well known they are. Every dealer in the world knows their dimensions, weight and appearance; that makes buy-back fast and the discount small. If you expect you might have to sell abroad, coins give you more flexibility.
Then there is divisibility. Ten one-ounce coins can be sold individually; a 300-gram bar cannot. If you plan to draw down holdings in stages, or want to be able to react to an unexpected expense, this gives you genuine room to manoeuvre.
CombiBars are pre-scored into gram sections and can be broken by hand. They combine the divisibility of small units with a premium well below that of individual 1-gram bars.
The downside: once broken, pieces are sometimes valued lower on buy-back than intact stock. As a supplement for small amounts they make sense; as your main holding they do not.
With silver the arithmetic shifts, because the 19 percent VAT dominates the price. Here large units are almost always the better choice, since the tax is spread across more fine silver.
Bars, especially from 100 grams upwards. The premium is around two percent on kilo bars and about three to four on one-ounce coins. On small units under ten grams the two converge.
Bullion coins. The Krugerrand, Maple Leaf and Philharmonic are recognised worldwide and bought by any dealer without testing. Large bars more often need an authenticity check.
As a supplement, yes. They are divisible and cheaper than individual gram bars. Broken pieces are, however, sometimes valued lower on buy-back than intact stock.
A one-ounce coin or a 10 g bar. Both are manageable in price, easy to sell and carry a reasonable premium. Using 1 g bars as your main holding is not advisable because of the high cost.
Premium figures are typical magnitudes as at July 2026 and vary with the mint and availability. Not investment advice.