Gold by the Pound: Frequently Asked Questions
Prices on this page use gold spot at $4,169.70/troy oz ($60,808/lb) · updated
Plain answers to the questions readers ask most about pricing, weighing, buying and selling gold by the pound. Each one links to the page that covers it properly. Every price here is live as of September 29, 2026.
The Pound Itself
What does "a pound of gold" mean on this site?
The everyday avoirdupois pound of 453.59 grams, the one on a bathroom scale. It holds 14.583 troy ounces of gold. We never use the obsolete troy pound, and we never mean British pounds sterling. Ounces in a pound, explained.
Why isn't a pound of gold 16 ounces?
Because gold uses a heavier ounce. The 16 ounces in a pound are kitchen ounces of 28.35 grams; gold is measured in troy ounces of 31.10 grams, and only 14.583 of those fit in a pound.
Where does the number 14.583 come from?
A pound is defined as 7,000 grains and a troy ounce as 480 grains. 7,000 ÷ 480 = 14.5833, exactly 175/12. It never changes, so we don't round it inside any calculation.
Is a troy pound the same as a pound?
No. A troy pound is 12 troy ounces, or 373.24 grams, about 18% lighter than an ordinary pound. It was dropped for everyday trade in the 1800s and isn't used to price gold today.
How big is a pound of gold?
About 23.5 cubic centimeters: a cube 2.86 cm on each side, a little wider than a US quarter. Size, volume and comparisons.
Prices
What is a pound of gold worth right now?
$60,808 for pure gold, calculated from a spot price of $4,169.70 per troy ounce. Live per-pound price and chart.
How much is half a pound of gold worth?
$30,404 at spot today.
How much are 5 pounds of gold worth?
$304,041 at spot today. Values from 5 to 100 pounds.
Where do your prices come from?
The headline price is gold spot from gold-api.com. The charts and history use COMEX gold futures closes (the GC contract) from Yahoo Finance, converted to dollars per pound. The two usually differ by a small amount, and we label which is which. About our data.
How often are prices updated?
The whole site is rebuilt every 6 hours with fresh prices, and each figure carries a timestamp. While a page is open, its headline price also re-checks itself in your browser.
Why is your price different from another site's?
Usually timing, a spot-versus-futures difference, or a site that multiplied by 16 instead of 14.583. Four reasons, explained.
What was the most gold has ever cost per pound?
The highest COMEX futures close on record is $77,560 per pound ($5,318.40 an ounce), in January 2026.
Karat, Scrap and Nuggets
How much is a pound of 14k gold worth?
$35,471 in melt value. 14-karat gold is 14/24 gold, or 58.3%. Every karat per pound.
What is a pound of 10k gold worth?
$25,337 in melt value, because 10-karat gold is 41.7% gold.
Will a gold buyer pay the melt value?
No. Melt value is the ceiling, not an offer. Refiners often pay 90% or more of melt on large lots; local buyers and jewelers commonly pay less, and pawn shops less again. Pricing a scrap lot.
How much is a pound of gold nuggets worth?
It depends on purity and on whether the nuggets are specimen quality. Most natural nuggets are roughly 80–92% gold, so their gold content is worth less than $60,808 per pound, but attractive specimens can sell above melt. Nugget pricing.
Buying
Can I buy a pound of gold?
Yes, but as a pound's worth of standard products, not as a single "one-pound" item. Fifteen 1 oz coins, or a 10 oz bar plus five 1 oz coins, both come to about a pound. How to buy gold by the pound.
Do 1 lb gold bars exist?
A few makers have produced them, but they're rare, and bars stamped "16 oz" hold 16 troy ounces, not a pound. The 1 lb gold bar.
What will a pound of gold cost me, all in?
Spot plus a premium. In normal markets that's roughly $61,720 for a pound bought as kilo bars at about 1.5% over spot, to $63,544 or more for American Gold Eagles. Card payments often add 2–4%.
How do I know if a dealer's price is fair?
Convert the quote to a premium per troy ounce and compare it with the typical ranges. Premium-over-spot calculator.
Can I hold a pound of gold in an IRA?
Yes, in eligible form: American Gold Eagles, or bullion at least .995 fine, which covers Buffalos, Maple Leafs and most refinery bars. Krugerrands and pre-1933 US gold coins aren't eligible, and IRA gold must be stored by an approved custodian.
Who do you recommend for buying a pound of gold?
Augusta Precious Metals, for cash or IRA purchases. Its $50,000 minimum is less than a pound of gold at today's spot. We earn a commission if you become a customer. Why we recommend it.
Selling
How do I work out what my gold is worth by weight?
Weigh it in grams, identify the karat from the stamp, and enter both in our gold price per pound calculator. It works in pounds, ounces, grams, kilos and pennyweights.
My kitchen scale reads in ounces. Can I use it?
Yes, if you convert: kitchen ounces × 0.9115 = troy ounces. A scale that reads in grams is more accurate for small amounts.
Should I melt gold coins before selling them?
No. Recognized bullion coins usually sell for at least their melt value as they are, and melting destroys any collector value. Sell coins as coins.
About This Site
Is this site a gold dealer?
No. We publish prices, calculators and guides. We don't buy or sell gold, and we never see what you enter into our calculators.
How does this site make money?
Through one affiliate relationship: we earn a commission if you become an Augusta Precious Metals customer through our links. It doesn't change what you pay or any figure we publish. Full disclosure.
How do I report an error?
There's no inbox. Our figures are recomputed from source data on every rebuild, and we re-check the facts on each page on a schedule; the About page explains how corrections happen.