1/30 Gram [0.5 grain] 24K Gold Bar, T.E.P., Golden Life Card, Sleeve, "mini-bio"

Description

T
his 0.5 grain [0.032 or 1/30
th
gram] 24 karat pure [999.9 fine] gold bullion bar was minted by Benchmark Strategic Metals, located in Rochester, New York. This mint specializes in producing fractional gold bars from weights as small as 1/4 grain to 2 grams. The gold bars are secured in Tamper Evident Packages [T.E.P.] which show instantly whether anyone has attempted to open them. Assay information of weight and purity are written on the T.E.P. Cards as well as on the gold ingots. [A Troy ounce of gold is 31.1 grams, and 15 grains to the gram or 480 grains to the ounce.] These 0.5 grain [1/30 gram] gold bars are small, indeed, but they do pack a "value punch." Traditionally, tiny bits of gold [along with silver and often copper or bronze] were used as currency and for barter. Many cultures ages ago adopted saving gold, much of it in the form of jewelry, as part of their gifting, celebrating and “saving for a rainy day” habits. We live in a country whose GDP depends over 60% on Americans essentially spending instead of saving.
While gold was decoupled from the US Dollar under President Nixon when he “closed the gold window” in 1973, gold is still priced in dollars but is
seen as having worldwide acceptance, a kind of insurance against "bad times.”
Gold prices travel skyward when “Fear” for any reason strikes a population. On that basis fractional gold [less than an ounce] becomes more popular. The 1/30
th
gram [0.5 grain] gold bar is attached to the inside of a Golden Life Card with this "mini-bio" of the bar. All T.E.P. secured gold bars have various anti-counterfeiting measures included in minting the bars, such as unique ID Serial Numbers on the Front lower center and a Program Tracking Number recorded in a hologram on the Reverse. The gold bar is attached to the inside of a Golden Life Card with its "mini-bio" of the ingot [see photo]. Also included is a colorfully designed envelope perfect for storing the gold bar or gifting it. The price of gold is set twice daily by international bankers during conference calls. That London Bullion Market Association [L.B.M.A.] price establishes a benchmark for settling gold transactions.