Premium (over spot)
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.
Premium is the single most important variable in bullion shopping. Two retailers selling the exact same 1 oz Gold Maple Leaf can quote prices 2–3% apart, simply because of different operating costs and margin policies.
Smaller items carry higher premiums because the fixed minting and packaging cost is amortized over less metal. A 1 g PAMP bar might carry a 12% premium while the equivalent 1 kg Argor-Heraeus bar is at 2.5%.
Ounceo sits at the low end of typical retail premiums because we operate on direct wallet settlement (no card processor margin) and pass crypto-specific savings (Lightning 0.5%, Monero 1.5%) back to the buyer.
Related terms
The spot price is the live wholesale market price for one troy ounce of pure gold (or silver) delivered immediately. It is set continuously by the LBMA, COMEX, and other major markets. Retail bullion always trades above spot, with the markup called the premium.
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.
A sovereign coin is a bullion coin issued by a national government with legal-tender status and a face value. Examples: American Eagle, Canadian Maple Leaf, British Britannia, Austrian Philharmonic, South African Krugerrand. Sovereign coins are universally recognized and easier to resell than private bars.