Cast vs minted bar
Cast bars are hand-poured: molten gold or silver is poured into a mold and the surface stays slightly rough. Minted bars are struck from rolled sheets with polished dies, giving a mirror finish. Cast bars carry a lower premium; minted bars look better and resell more easily in small sizes.
Cast bars (e.g., the PAMP 1 oz Cast Gold Bar) are produced by pouring molten metal directly into a mold. The result has a characteristic dimpled or rough top surface and is less labor-intensive to produce — hence the lower premium.
Minted bars (e.g., PAMP Lady Fortuna) are blanked from rolled sheet and then struck under high pressure between engraved dies. The result is sharper edges, a polished field, and often intricate artwork. They cost more to produce.
For pure metal-per-dollar efficiency, cast bars win. For gifting or for divisibility into small units with strong visual identity (e.g., the Valcambi CombiBar), minted is the way to go.
Related terms
The premium is the markup over spot price that you pay for retail bullion. It compensates the mint, refiner, dealer, and shipper. Premiums vary by product: 1 oz sovereign coins are 4–6%, 1 g minted bars can be 8–12%, 1 kg LBMA bars are 2–3%. Lower premium = more metal per dollar.
LBMA Good Delivery is the international quality standard maintained by the London Bullion Market Association. A refiner on the LBMA Good Delivery List has proven its bars meet strict purity (≥99.5% gold, ≥99.9% silver), weight, dimensions, and assay accuracy — making the bars universally accepted by major dealers.