How to Sell Gold Bars in Canada: RCM, PAMP, Valcambi & Bank-Bought Bars

How to Sell Gold Bars in Canada: The Short Answer

Record the refiner, stated weight, purity, quantity, serial number where present, and packaging condition. Request a quote from a bullion buyer for those exact bars, then confirm inspection, delivery, and payment terms before completing the sale.

The practical sequence is:

1. Identify each bar and its specifications.
2. Keep original assay packaging and records.
3. Establish the fine-gold content.
4. Check a current CAD gold-price reference.
5. Request a product-specific buyback quote.
6. Compare proceeds after costs.
7. Confirm authentication and price-lock conditions.
8. Arrange delivery with appropriate coverage.
9. Provide identification when required.
10. Keep purchase, sale, and payment records.

For the broader process, see our guide to selling gold in Canada.

Step 1: Make an Inventory of Your Bars

Do not begin by cutting open packaging or polishing the metal. Begin with the information already visible.

Record:

• Manufacturer or refiner
• Product type or design
• Stated weight
• Stated purity
• Serial number, if present
• Number of bars
• Sealed, opened, or missing packaging
• Purchase date and source, if known
• Any visible damage or discrepancies

Photographs can help with an initial quote discussion, particularly when showing the product markings and packaging. Keep those images private: serial numbers and ownership records should not be posted publicly simply to ask about value.

If you own several similar bars, list each separately where identification numbers differ. That creates a clear record of what you intend to deliver and what the buyer acknowledges receiving.

Step 2: Understand Weight Units

Gold bars are commonly sold in grams, troy ounces, and kilograms. These units must be converted correctly before comparing prices.

One troy ounce is approximately 31.1035 grams. A kilogram equals 1,000 grams, or approximately 32.1507 troy ounces of gross weight.

This conversion table describes weight, not an automatic guarantee of fine-gold content. Check the manufacturer's product specification and purity.

An ordinary household ounce is a different unit. A scale set to ordinary ounces can create an incorrect comparison with a spot price quoted per troy ounce.

Step 3: Confirm Purity and Fine-Gold Content

Investment bars commonly carry markings such as .9999 or .999, but use the specific bar's documented fineness rather than a general assumption about the brand.

When working from gross weight:

Gross weight × verified purity = approximate fine-gold weight.

For example, a bar with a gross weight of 100 grams and purity of .9999 contains approximately 99.99 grams of fine gold. The dealer's exact calculation may follow the manufacturer's stated content and its own testing and pricing conventions.

If a product specification already states fine-gold content, use that figure without applying purity a second time.

A stamp helps identify a bar but does not authenticate it. Packaging and serial numbers are supporting information; a professional buyer may still test the product before final acceptance.

Step 4: Know What an Assay Card Does

An assay card commonly identifies the refiner, weight, fineness, and sometimes a serial number. For some minted products, the bar is sealed into packaging that carries this information.

Keeping the package intact helps preserve the product as originally supplied. It can also make it easier for a buyer to match the bar with its markings and resale format.

However, an assay card is not a substitute for authentication. Counterfeit packaging exists, and genuine packaging cannot establish the condition of every item without examination.

Not every gold bar comes with the same style of assay card. Cast bars, minted wafers, and larger bars may use different documentation and markings. Ask about the requirements for your exact product rather than assuming that all bars should look like a sealed one-ounce wafer.

Step 5: Do Not Assume Missing Packaging Makes the Bar Unsellable

If the assay card is lost or the seal has been opened, tell the buyer before requesting a quote.

Missing packaging does not remove the gold from a genuine bar. It can affect the authentication process, resale presentation, and offered price, depending on the buyer and product.

Do not buy replacement packaging or attempt to recreate a seal. That can misrepresent the item and create more uncertainty. Present the bar honestly with whatever records you still have.

Useful supporting information includes the original invoice, product photographs, the refiner's specifications, and visible serial markings. The buyer can explain whether additional testing or a different pricing category applies.

Step 6: Understand Brand Recognition Without Assuming a Fixed Premium

Products from established refiners such as RCM, PAMP, and Valcambi may be familiar to bullion buyers. Familiarity can help with identification and resale, but it does not guarantee one standard bid across every dealer.

Avoid treating a refiner's name as proof that every product it has ever made carries the same liquidity or premium. Exact format, condition, demand, and buyer policy still matter.

Step 7: Understand How Size Affects Selling Flexibility

A one-ounce bar and a kilogram bar are both saleable products when accepted by a buyer, but they give you different choices.

Several small bars let you sell part of a holding in separate units. One large bar generally needs to be sold as a whole. You cannot sell a quarter of its value without arranging a separate transaction or physically altering it.

Do not cut, drill, or divide an ordinary bar to create smaller sale units. Doing so changes its condition and complicates authentication and resale.

For purpose-made divisible products, disclose whether the original format remains intact. Separated pieces may be treated differently from the complete product.

Large bars also create larger individual transactions. Before moving one, confirm that the buyer accepts that size, can quote it, and has agreed on receiving and payment arrangements.

Step 8: Check the Terms for Bank-Bought and Costco-Bought Bars

Identify the actual refiner, weight, purity and packaging, even if the invoice names a bank or retailer. Where you bought a bar does not by itself establish another buyer's acceptance terms. Ask about your exact product before moving it.

RBC says it buys only gold and silver products originally sold by RBC to RBC clients, with proof of purchase. Keep that receipt if you intend to approach RBC. Our RBC bullion comparison explains the buying and resale route.

A buyback is a new sale at an agreed price, rather than a reversal of your original purchase. For a Costco-bought or other third-party bar, confirm whether the proposed buyer accepts it, which records it needs and how inspection affects the quote. Do not assume a retailer or bank must repurchase it.

RBC policy reviewed November 1, 2026: official RBC retail bullion information.

Step 9: Calculate a Reference Value and Net Proceeds

Use the bar's documented fine-gold content and a matching CAD price per fine troy ounce. If you start from gross weight, establish fine content first. If the specification already gives fine-gold content, do not multiply by purity again. Our gold-price page provides market context, rather than a promised selling price.

Illustration only: assume one fine troy ounce and a hypothetical CAD $4,000 per fine troy ounce. Reference metal value is 1 × $4,000 = $4,000. An imaginary gross bid of $3,920, less $30 in agreed costs, produces $3,890 net proceeds, or 97.25% of that reference value.

The $80 difference between reference value and gross bid is separate from the $30 cost deduction. These are invented calculation inputs, not a live price, actual payout, normal dealer spread or CanAm quote. The example excludes any other assessment, transport, insurance or payment charges and any tax consequences; include applicable costs in your own comparison.

Step 10: Compare Quotes on the Same Basis

Provide identical product details to each buyer and compare quotes close together in time.

Ask about:

• Gross offer for each product
• Testing or handling costs
• Shipping and insurance charges
• Payment costs, if any
• Quote expiry
• Price-lock conditions
• Inspection requirements
• Return arrangements if acceptance changes

Do not compare a dealer's retail selling price with another buyer's bid. The first is what a customer pays to buy a bar; the second is what you receive when selling one.

For a holding with multiple brands and sizes, request separate prices. That helps you choose which bars to sell if you only need to raise part of the holding's value.

Step 11: Expect Professional Authentication

A buyer may check weight, dimensions, markings, density, conductivity, or composition using methods appropriate to the product. The process should be explained before any destructive testing is undertaken.

No single visible feature or surface reading necessarily resolves every authenticity question. Ask what methods are used for your bar and whether any procedure could alter it.

If a buyer identifies a discrepancy, ask for the findings and the next steps. Do not treat a preliminary photograph-based quote as proof that a bar has passed authentication.

Our bullion authentication guide explains why verification matters for genuine transactions as well as suspected counterfeits.

Step 12: Agree on Transport and Payment

For an in-person transaction, confirm the receiving location and whether an appointment is required. Avoid unnecessary trips with a valuable bar before acceptance and procedures have been discussed.

For mail-in transactions, obtain the buyer's instructions first. Confirm that the agreed coverage specifically includes bullion and the full shipment value, and understand exclusions, claim procedures, and the point at which responsibility transfers.

Keep a private inventory and dispatch record. A prepaid label is not, by itself, proof of adequate insurance.

Ask when payment is initiated after verification, which payment method is used, and when funds are expected to be available. Processing a payment and receiving cleared funds can be different events.

Be prepared to provide identification under the buyer's process and applicable compliance requirements.

Keep the Records That Make the Sale Traceable

Save original invoices, serial-number records, assay information, correspondence confirming the quote, dispatch or delivery acknowledgements, sale confirmations, and payment records.

Documentation helps identify the product and reconcile the sale. It also supports any tax reporting that applies to your circumstances.

Do not assume qualifying high-purity bullion's GST/HST treatment makes investment profits tax-free. Sales-tax classification and income-tax treatment are separate questions. If records are incomplete or the bar was inherited, ask a qualified Canadian professional about establishing the relevant cost and ownership information.

Selling Gold Bars Through CanAm Bullion

Request a free quote with the refiner, exact format, weight, purity, quantity, serials where present and packaging condition. Tell us about missing records, opened assay packaging or alterations. Confirm that the specific bars are accepted before arranging delivery.

Our published selling process says shipped packages are opened under camera and the metal is verified. It states that payment is by direct deposit within one business day after verification. That timing starts after verification, not when you post the package or when it arrives; no assessment turnaround is stated.

Call +1 (844) 828-4653 to confirm the quote basis, expiry, deductions, identification, assessment and transport instructions. Ask about approved drop-off arrangements before visiting, or shipping coverage and return terms before sending metal. A prepaid label alone does not establish bullion insurance. Acceptance of every refiner, third-party purchase or altered bar is not promised.

Before You Sell a Gold Bar: Your Checklist

• Identify the refiner and exact format.
• Record weight, purity, and quantity.
• Note serial numbers where present.
• Preserve original packaging.
• Disclose opened or missing assay cards.
• Gather purchase records.
• Check a current CAD market reference.
• Obtain a product-specific offer.
• Compare net proceeds.
• Confirm testing and price-lock conditions.
• Agree on transport and coverage.
• Prepare identification.
• Keep sale and payment records.

Frequently Asked Questions About Selling Gold Bars

Can I sell a bar bought at Costco or TD?

You can ask a bullion buyer to assess it regardless of the original purchase source. Acceptance depends on the exact product, authenticity, condition, and buyer's policy. Do not assume the original seller must repurchase it.

Do I need the original assay card?

It is useful when the product was supplied with one, but missing documentation does not remove the value of genuine gold. Ask whether additional testing or different pricing applies.

Are bank-branded bars worth more?

Branding does not automatically produce a higher bid. The bar's fine-gold content, actual manufacturer, condition, demand, and buyer's terms determine the offer.

Can I sell part of a kilogram bar?

An ordinary bar is generally sold as a complete item. Do not physically divide it. If you need a partial sale, discuss alternatives with the buyer and compare the costs of any sale and repurchase.

Does a scratched bar still have value?

Yes, genuine gold still has metal value. Damage may affect marketability, packaging status, or the bid. Describe it accurately and obtain an assessment.

Should I open the package so the buyer can test the bar?

Leave it intact until the buyer gives instructions. The appropriate authentication process depends on the product, and opening packaging prematurely may be unnecessary.

Will I receive the spot price?

Not necessarily. Spot is a reference; the product-specific bid and applicable costs determine proceeds. Ask for the actual amount and how it was calculated.

How quickly will I be paid?

For CanAm's published process, direct deposit is stated to occur within one business day after verification. Confirm assessment timing and the arrangements for your sale before sending a bar. Do not count that business day from dispatch or initial receipt.

Sell With the Product Details and Terms Established

A gold-bar sale is easier to assess when the product is clearly identified and the offer is expressed in terms you understand. Preserve the original format, gather the records, and compare current bids for the exact bars.

Then confirm authentication, delivery, and payment before the metal leaves your possession. Those steps turn a headline gold price into a concrete transaction you can evaluate.