The gold bullion bar has long been a symbol of power, wealth, and beauty. It is truly both a treasure and an icon. Gold bullion bars have been featured in fairy tales of dragons hording jewels and captured treasure, in the myths of Aladdin, and in countless heist movies,. Gold's appeal stems from the fact that it is recognized as a commodity in practically every major civilized culture in the world.

Gold does not appear as bullion in its natural state. Gold must be extracted and refined via careful manufacturing processes. Sometimes, gold is found as nuggets in particularly rich mineral veins. However, a lot of gold is found by carefully sifting it out of stream-fed alluvial deposits. Throughout history, treasure hunters have risked life and limb to lay claim to territories wealthy with natural gold deposits.

No 100 percent pure gold bullion bar exists. Even with the best purification techniques, gold can only be purified to approximately 99.99 percent. Coin collectors, in particular, love to gather silver and gold bullion coins minted by countries like the United States and China. The U.S. minted a $20 gold coin, called the Double Eagle, in 1933, which became a source of international controversy when the Egyptian King Farouk illegally laid claim to a stolen coin.

The biggest stash of gold bullion bars in the world is in Fort Knox, Kentucky. However, vaults full of gold bullion bars reside in practically every major city--most notably, New York, Shanghai, Bangkok, and London. Switzerland, which operates a libertarian banking system, houses many international collections of gold bullion bars, as well.