What is a Troy Ounce?

Many customers ask us: “What is a troy ounce”?

The troy ounce is a unit of measurement that is used for purposes of calculating the weight of precious metals like gold, silver and platinum bullion.

Originally a unit of measurement in Ancient Rome, the troy ounce is different from the ‘ounce’ that most people are familiar with, which is technically known as the ‘avoirdupois ounce’, or the ‘imperial ounce’.

An imperial ounce weighs 26.5 grams. A troy ounce, on the other hand, weighs 31.103 grams.

If you want a sense of how much a troy ounce weighs, pick up 31 pennies. Each penny weighs about 1 gram, so 31 is roughly equal to a troy ounce. Or grab a CD. They also weigh about 30 grams.

To this day, the troy ounce is the official weight standard for the US Coinage Act, and it’s largely for this reason that we, at Toronto Gold, quote any bullion prices in troy ounces. On the other hand, because most jewellery weighs significantly less than an ounce, we quote the prices in grams.

You can always check out our prices at here. Prices are updated hourly so you get the best prices, guaranteed.