IRA-approved gold is any gold coin or bar that meets the standard in section 408(m) of the tax code: at least .995 fine (99.5% pure), made by a national government mint or an accredited refiner, and held by an IRS-approved custodian. The one exception is the American Gold Eagle, which is 22 karat but allowed by name. That rule, not a product list, decides what your IRA can buy.
In this guide
Key takeaways
- "IRA-approved" is shorthand. The IRS sets a purity floor of .995 for gold and names a few U.S. Mint coins; it does not certify products.
- Eligible coins include the American Gold Eagle and Buffalo, Canadian Maple Leaf, Austrian Philharmonic, Australian Kangaroo and British Britannia.
- Bars qualify when they are .995 or better and come from a national mint or an LBMA, COMEX, LME or ISO 9000 accredited refiner.
- Krugerrands, pre-1933 U.S. gold, Sovereigns, graded "rare" coins and jewelry are out.
- Among eligible products, plain bullion bars and coins carry the lowest premiums; proof and "exclusive" coins carry the highest.
What "IRA-approved" actually means
The phrase sounds like a government seal. It is not. The tax code originally barred IRAs from holding "collectibles," which included all coins and metals. Congress then carved out exceptions: first for certain U.S. Mint coins, then for any gold, silver, platinum or palladium bullion that meets the purity required for a futures contract. Those exceptions are what the industry calls IRA-approved metal.
Three tests follow from the statute:
- Purity. Gold must be at least .995 fine. The American Gold Eagle (.9167) passes only because the law names it.
- Maker. Coins must be struck by a national government mint. Bars and rounds must come from a mint or a refiner accredited by the LBMA, NYMEX/COMEX, LME or ISO 9000.
- Custody. The metal must be held by the IRA's trustee or custodian in an approved depository. Metal in your safe does not count, as the Tax Court confirmed in McNulty v. Commissioner (2021).
If a product passes all three, it is eligible, whether or not a dealer's website lists it. If it fails one, no marketing label can fix it. The wider rulebook, including contribution limits and distributions, is in our Gold IRA rules guide.
The gold coins that qualify
These are the coins most custodians and dealers handle every day. All are government-minted bullion, and all except the Eagle are 24 karat.
| Coin | Mint | Fineness | First issued | Sizes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Gold Eagle | U.S. Mint | .9167 (22k) | 1986 | 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/10 oz | Allowed by statutory exception; bullion and proof both eligible; most widely traded U.S. gold coin |
| American Gold Buffalo | U.S. Mint | .9999 | 2006 | 1 oz | First 24-karat U.S. coin; softer surface than the Eagle |
| Canadian Gold Maple Leaf | Royal Canadian Mint | .9999 | 1979 | 1 oz and fractions | Radial-line and micro-engraved security features; often a slightly lower premium than the Eagle |
| Austrian Gold Philharmonic | Austrian Mint | .9999 | 1989 | 1 oz and fractions | Europe's best-known bullion coin; euro face value |
| Australian Kangaroo (Nugget) | Perth Mint | .9999 | 1986 | 1 oz and fractions | Design changes each year; sold in individual capsules |
| British Britannia | Royal Mint | .9999 (since 2013) | 1987 | 1 oz and fractions | Pre-2013 Britannias were .9167 and do not qualify |
Each has its own trade-offs in durability, premium and resale. We compare the two U.S. Mint coins in Gold Eagle vs Gold Buffalo, and the Canadian coin in Canadian Gold Maple Leaf in an IRA.
A note on the Britannia
The Britannia is the one coin where the year matters. The Royal Mint moved it from .9167 to .9999 fine in 2013. A 2013 or later Britannia is eligible. An earlier one is not, for the same reason a Krugerrand is not: 22 karat without an exception in the law.
Gold bars and rounds that qualify
Bars do not need a national mint. They need an accredited refiner and .995 fineness or better. In practice nearly every bar a reputable IRA dealer offers is .999 or .9999 and comes from one of a small group of refiners:
- PAMP Suisse (Switzerland)
- Valcambi (Switzerland)
- Credit Suisse branded bars (produced by Valcambi)
- Royal Canadian Mint
- Perth Mint
- Johnson Matthey (older bars still trade widely)
Common IRA sizes are 1 oz, 10 oz and 1 kilogram (32.15 troy oz). Larger bars cost less per ounce to buy but are harder to sell in pieces, which matters when required minimum distributions start. The full trade-off is in gold bars vs coins in an IRA.
Rounds (coin-shaped pieces from private mints, with no face value) are also eligible if the maker is accredited and the purity is .995 or better. Most IRA dealers stock few of them because buyers prefer the recognition of a government coin.
What is not allowed
The exclusions catch many investors by surprise, especially people who already own some of these coins.
- South African Krugerrand. .9167 fine with no statutory exception.
- Pre-1933 U.S. gold ($20 Double Eagles, $10 Eagles and so on). 90% gold and treated as collectibles.
- British Sovereigns, Swiss 20 Francs, French 20 Francs, Mexican 50 Pesos. All below .995.
- Any graded, slabbed, "rare" or numismatic coin. Even if the underlying coin is eligible bullion, a grading premium is a collectible premium, and most custodians will not accept slabbed coins.
- Jewelry, nuggets, dental gold, scrap. No standardized purity or maker.
- Metal you already own. An IRA cannot receive property as a contribution.
Pre-2013 Britannias belong on this list too. If a dealer offers you any of these for an IRA, that is a signal to look elsewhere.
Eligible is not the same as good value
Every product in the tables above is legal for your IRA. They are not equally priced. Dealers sell metal above the spot price, and the size of that markup varies far more than the gold content does. As of late 2026, typical spreads look like this:
| Product type | Typical premium over spot | Gold content per $10,000 spent |
|---|---|---|
| Gold bars, 10 oz or kilo | About 1% to 3% | Highest |
| Common 1 oz bullion coins (Eagle, Buffalo, Maple Leaf, Philharmonic) | About 3% to 5% | High |
| Fractional coins (1/2, 1/4, 1/10 oz) | Higher than 1 oz, rising as the coin gets smaller | Lower |
| Proof, "exclusive" or semi-numismatic coins | Often 20% to 40% or more | Lowest |
A worked example
Suppose you move $30,000 into a Gold IRA and gold is at about $4,075 an ounce (the middle of the early November 2026 range; check today's gold price for current figures).
- At a 2% premium on bars, you pay about $4,157 per ounce and receive about 7.22 oz of gold.
- At a 4% premium on bullion coins, you pay about $4,238 per ounce and receive about 7.08 oz.
- At a 30% premium on proof coins, you pay about $5,298 per ounce and receive about 5.66 oz.
The proof buyer owns roughly 1.5 ounces less gold, worth about $6,300 at spot, for the same $30,000. Gold would have to rise about 30% just to return that account to its purchase price. The bullion and bar buyers need roughly 4% and 2%. That gap is the single biggest cost decision in a Gold IRA, and it is explained further in gold premiums over spot and proof coins in an IRA.
How to verify a product before you buy
You do not need to become an expert. Four questions settle almost every case:
Is the fineness .995 or better?
It is stamped on most bars and printed in the mint's specifications for coins. If the dealer cannot state it, do not buy. Our primer on karats and fineness explains the numbers.
Who made it?
A national mint, or a refiner on the LBMA Good Delivery list or accredited by COMEX, LME or ISO 9000. The refiner's name should be on the bar and its assay card.
Is it plain bullion?
If the sales pitch leans on words like rare, limited, graded, first strike or exclusive, you are being offered a premium product. It may still be eligible, but you are paying for something other than gold.
Will the custodian accept it?
Custodians such as Equity Trust, STRATA and GoldStar apply the same statute and sometimes add their own restrictions (many refuse slabbed coins). The dealer normally checks this, but you can ask directly.
Storage: the part of "approved" people forget
Eligibility has two halves. The product must qualify, and it must sit in the right place. The statute requires that IRA bullion be in the physical possession of the trustee. Depositories such as Delaware Depository, IDS and Brink's hold the metal in the IRA's name, insured under all-risk policies. You cannot take a Gold Eagle home and still call it an IRA asset; doing so is a distribution, taxable and, before age 59½, penalized. The arrangements some promoters call "home storage" or "checkbook" IRAs failed exactly this test in court. See home storage Gold IRAs for the details.
Putting the list to work
For most retirement savers the shortlist is short. A mix of 1 oz American Gold Eagles or Maple Leafs for liquidity and divisibility, plus 10 oz bars if the account is large enough to justify them, covers nearly every need at a premium of a few percent. Everything else on the eligible list is a legitimate choice with a specific reason behind it: a Buffalo for 24-karat purity from the U.S. Mint, a Philharmonic for a buyer who expects to sell in Europe one day, a Kangaroo for variety.
What the list cannot tell you is whether gold belongs in your plan at all, or how much. Gold pays no income, and it fell about 45% from 2011 to 2015 and about 25% from its January 2026 record. Decide the allocation first, usually within the 5% to 15% convention planners use, and only then choose the coins. If silver is also on your mind, the equivalent list is in IRA-approved silver.
Frequently asked questions
Which gold coins are IRA eligible?
Any gold coin of at least .995 fineness that was struck by a national government mint qualifies, plus the American Gold Eagle, which is allowed by a specific exception even though it is only .9167 fine. The common choices are the American Gold Eagle, American Gold Buffalo, Canadian Gold Maple Leaf, Austrian Gold Philharmonic, Australian Kangaroo and British Britannia.
What does IRA approved gold actually mean?
It is industry shorthand, not an IRS label. The tax code (section 408(m)) says what an IRA may hold: certain U.S. Mint coins and any gold, silver, platinum or palladium that meets a minimum fineness. Dealers call a product IRA approved when it meets that standard. No agency stamps or certifies individual products.
Are Krugerrands allowed in a Gold IRA?
No. The South African Krugerrand is .9167 fine, below the .995 minimum, and unlike the American Gold Eagle it has no statutory exception. The same applies to British Sovereigns, Swiss 20 Francs, Mexican 50 Pesos and pre-1933 U.S. gold coins. See Krugerrands and IRAs.
Can I put gold I already own into my IRA?
No. An IRA must buy its metal with money inside the account. Depositing coins you already hold would count as a contribution of property, which the rules do not allow. You would need to sell the coins, contribute or roll over cash, and have the custodian buy eligible metal.
Are proof Gold Eagles IRA approved?
Yes, proof American Gold Eagles are specifically eligible. The caution is price: proof coins often sell for 20% to 40% or more above the gold they contain, compared with roughly 3% to 5% for ordinary bullion Eagles. Eligibility and value for money are separate questions.
Do gold bars need a certificate to go into an IRA?
The bar must come from a national mint or a refiner accredited by the LBMA, NYMEX/COMEX, LME or ISO 9000, and it must be .995 fine or better. Most IRA-grade bars from refiners such as PAMP Suisse and Valcambi ship in sealed assay cards. Your dealer and custodian confirm the product before it is vaulted.