1 Gram or 100 Grams? Why the Smallest Antam Bar Costs 2.3% More Per Gram
6 min read
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6 min read
On 28 October 2026, a 1 gram Antam gold bar cost Rp2.570.000. A 100 gram bar cost Rp251.212.000. Divide the second price by 100 and you get Rp2.512.120 per gram.
Same gold. Same maker. The small bar costs Rp57.880 more for every gram.
That gap is the gold bar size price per gram effect, and it decides how much of your money goes into gold and how much goes into the cost of shaping it. Here is how it works, what it costs you, and what you get back for paying it.
Antam (the state miner PT Aneka Tambang) sells its Logam Mulia bars in sizes from 0.5 gram to 1 kilogram. Here is the price list for 28 October 2026, as reported by Receh.in from Logam Mulia. The last column is NetWort arithmetic.
| Bar size | Total price | Price per gram | Extra vs 1 kg bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 g | Rp1.335.000 | Rp2.670.000 | +6.4% |
| 1 g | Rp2.570.000 | Rp2.570.000 | +2.4% |
| 5 g | Rp12.625.000 | Rp2.525.000 | +0.6% |
| 10 g | Rp25.195.000 | Rp2.519.500 | +0.4% |
| 100 g | Rp251.212.000 | Rp2.512.120 | +0.06% |
| 1.000 g | Rp2.510.600.000 | Rp2.510.600 | base |
Read down the third column. The price per gram falls every time the bar gets bigger. The biggest drop happens between the tiny bars. After 10 grams, the gap is small.
Making a bar costs money. Melting, stamping, sealing it in a certified pack and shipping it all have a fixed cost. That cost does not shrink when the bar does.
Spread that cost over 1 gram and it is a big slice. Spread it over 100 grams and it is a thin one.
Kompas TV reports the same reason: small bars carry more minting and distribution cost per gram. This is a search summary of their report, not a page we opened.
The gold inside is the same purity. You are not buying "worse" gold in a small bar. You are paying more to have it packaged in a small piece.
Percentages feel small, so use rupiah. Say you want 100 grams of gold at the 28 October prices.
Same 100 grams. Rp5,8 million disappears if you buy it as 1 gram bars.
The price you pay is only half the story. The other half is what you get when you sell.
Antam buys its bars back at a price per gram. According to Tirto, as summarised by search, this buyback price is the same for every bar size. On 28 October the Receh.in article puts it at about Rp2.365.000 per gram. Other sources show different figures, so treat that as a rough anchor.
If that holds, the small premium you paid on a small bar is gone the moment you sell. Here is the NetWort arithmetic:
| 1 g bar | 100 g bar | |
|---|---|---|
| You pay | Rp2.570.000 | Rp251.212.000 |
| Buyback at about Rp2.365.000 per gram | Rp2.365.000 | Rp236.500.000 |
| Gap | Rp205.000 (8.0%) | Rp14.712.000 (5.9%) |
Both gaps are the spread, meaning the difference between the price you buy at and the price you can sell at. The spread is smaller on the big bar, as a share of what you paid.
This example ignores tax and packaging conditions. Buyback usually expects the original certificate and an undamaged pack. Check both with Antam before you buy.
If big bars are cheaper per gram, why does anyone buy 1 gram?
Because gold is also something you spend. A big bar can only be sold whole. You cannot cut off a piece.
Say you need Rp3 million for a school fee. With a 100 gram bar, you sell all of it, then are left holding cash you did not need. With a few 1 gram and 5 gram bars, you sell exactly what you need.
Small bars also fit small budgets. If you save a little each month, a 1 gram bar may be the only size you can afford.
So the choice is a trade:
You do not have to pick one end. A mix works.
Many people hold most of their gold in 10 gram or 25 gram bars, where the premium is already low. They keep a few 1 gram or 5 gram bars as the part they might need to sell soon.
If you buy gold a little at a time, you can also compare this with other routes. Read how digital gold app spreads compare, physical vs digital gold and how Antam and UBS buyback prices differ.
Whatever size you buy, make sure the bar is real. Here is how to check an Antam bar and its certificate.
Open the Holdings page and add your bars as manual assets. Enter each bar's size, what you paid and the date. NetWort will show what each purchase has done so far, so you can see whether small bars or big bars have cost you more.