Gold and silver premiums: what big online dealers charge over spot

The short answer

On September 26, 2026, we checked the prices of six popular gold and silver products at three large online dealers: APMEX, SD Bullion and Money Metals Exchange. For one piece paid by check or bank wire, 1 oz gold coins and bars cost 2.8% to 5.9% more than the value of their gold. Silver cost more in relative terms: 10.0% to 13.1% over spot for Canadian Silver Maple Leafs and 15.4% to 26.1% for American Silver Eagles. Paying by card or PayPal added about 4% at APMEX and SD Bullion.

At a glance (September 26, 2026)

Gold spot price	About $4,296 to $4,301 an ounce, depending on the dealer
Silver spot price	About $64.88 to $65.05 an ounce
1 oz gold coins and bars	2.8% to 5.9% over spot
American Silver Eagle	15.4% to 26.1% over spot
Canadian Silver Maple Leaf	10.0% to 13.1% over spot
90% silver coins	0.8% to 7.7% over the value of their silver

Gold

Product	APMEX	SD Bullion	Money Metals	Average premium
2026 American Gold Eagle, 1 oz	$4,555.70 (5.9%)	$4,516.72 (5.1%)	$4,544.80 (5.7%)	5.6%
2026 Canadian Gold Maple Leaf, 1 oz	$4,465.70 (3.8%)	$4,445.50 (3.5%)	$4,470.80 (4.0%)	3.8%
PAMP Suisse gold bar, 1 oz, in assay	$4,490.70 (4.4%)	$4,415.50 (2.8%)	$4,446.80 (3.5%)	3.6%

Price for one piece paid by check or wire. The percentage is the premium over the value of the gold at the spot price each dealer showed at the time.

The American Gold Eagle cost the most at all three dealers. At each one, choosing a Canadian Gold Maple Leaf instead saved $71 to $90 for the same ounce of gold. The 1 oz bar was the cheapest of the three at SD Bullion and Money Metals, but not at APMEX, where the Maple Leaf cost less. Compare the exact products you’re considering, since the cheapest choice isn’t always the same.

Silver

Product	APMEX	SD Bullion	Money Metals	Average premium
2026 American Silver Eagle, 1 oz	$82.04 (26.1%)	$74.87 (15.4%)	$77.87 (19.8%)	20.5%
2026 Canadian Silver Maple Leaf, 1 oz	$72.04 (10.7%)	$71.37 (10.0%)	$73.47 (13.1%)	11.3%
90% silver coins, per $1 face value	$50.08 (7.7%)	$46.74 (0.8%)	$49.25 (6.0%)	4.8%

Price for one piece, or for $1 of face value, paid by check or wire. Premiums are over the value of the silver at each dealer’s spot price. For 90% silver we used the usual figure of 0.715 troy ounces of silver per $1 of face value. APMEX sold mixed coins and Money Metals sold quarters. SD Bullion’s smallest lot was a $5 roll of dimes, which we divided by five. Averages are worked out from unrounded figures.

The Silver Eagle varied most from dealer to dealer: its premium ran from 15.4% to 26.1%, a difference of $7.17 a coin. It also cost $3.50 to $10 more than a Silver Maple Leaf at the same dealer, for the same ounce of silver.

Silver premiums are higher in percentage terms because a dealer’s costs for making, shipping and selling a coin don’t shrink with the coin’s value. They take a much bigger share of a $65 silver coin than of a $4,300 gold one. Our guide to silver coins and bars covers the trade-offs, and junk silver explains the pre-1965 coins.

What one dealer would pay you back

Money Metals lists the price it pays to buy each product back on the same page, so you can see how far apart its buying and selling prices are.

Product	Money Metals sells at	Buys back at	Buy/sell spread
American Gold Eagle	$4,544.80	$4,223.80	$321.00 (7.1% of the price)
Canadian Gold Maple Leaf	$4,470.80	$4,182.80	$288.00 (6.4%)
PAMP gold bar	$4,446.80	$4,159.80	$287.00 (6.5%)
American Silver Eagle	$77.87	$63.98	$13.89 (17.8%)
Canadian Silver Maple Leaf	$73.47	$60.98	$12.49 (17.0%)
90% silver, per $1 face value	$49.25	$40.03	$9.22 (18.7%)

Money Metals’ prices on September 26, 2026. The spread is the gap between its selling and buying prices that day, as a share of the selling price. It leaves out shipping, insurance and sales tax, and it isn’t a forecast of what you’d get if you sold later. Other dealers’ buyback prices differ, so get more than one quote when you sell.

At these prices, buying a Silver Eagle and selling it straight back would have cost about 18% of what you paid, against about 7% for a Gold Eagle. Our guides to what gold really costs and selling gold and silver explain spreads in more detail.

How we did it

We recorded prices on Saturday, September 26, 2026, between about 4:30 and 5 p.m. Central time. Markets were closed for the weekend, so spot prices reflected Friday’s close.
We chose three large U.S. online dealers that publish prices on their product pages. We also tried JM Bullion, but we couldn’t load its prices.
We used the price for a single piece paid by check or bank wire. Card and PayPal prices were about 4% higher at APMEX and SD Bullion. Larger orders cost a little less per piece.
We measured each premium against the spot price each dealer was using at the time: $4,300.71 for gold and $65.05 for silver at APMEX, and $4,295.51 and $64.88 at SD Bullion. Money Metals lists a premium per ounce instead of a spot price, so we took its price minus that premium, which comes to $4,297.80 and $64.98.
Prices don’t include shipping or sales tax. Shipping policies differ by dealer, and sales tax depends on your state.
Prices change constantly, so treat these figures as a snapshot and check current prices before you buy.
We have no business relationship with any of these dealers, and none of them paid to be included. This isn’t a recommendation of any dealer.

We plan to repeat this check each month with the same products. Our melt value calculator works out the metal value of a coin or bar at a spot price you enter. It starts with recent prices and shows their date, so type in the latest price for a current figure.

Frequently asked questions

What’s a normal premium for a 1 oz gold coin?

In our September 2026 check, 1 oz gold coins from three large online dealers cost 3.5% to 5.9% over spot, and 1 oz gold bars 2.8% to 4.4%. Local shops can charge more, and “limited edition” or collector coins often cost far more. Our guide to what gold really costs explains how to check a quote.

Why does a Silver Eagle cost more than a Silver Maple Leaf?

Both contain about an ounce of silver, but in our check the Silver Eagle cost $3.50 to $10 more at the same dealer. If you don’t need the Eagle in particular, a Maple Leaf gets you more silver for your money.

Are gold bars cheaper than gold coins?

Usually a little. In our check, a 1 oz PAMP bar cost 2.8% to 4.4% over spot, a Gold Maple Leaf 3.5% to 4.0% and a Gold Eagle 5.1% to 5.9%. At one dealer the Maple Leaf was cheaper than the bar, so compare the exact products. Our guide to gold coins or bars covers the other differences.