Article 344

For the purposes of this Directive, and without prejudice to other Community provisions, ‘investment gold’ shall mean:

1. (1)

   gold, in the form of a bar or a wafer of weights accepted by the bullion markets, of a purity equal to or greater than 995 thousandths, whether or not represented by securities;

2. (2)

   gold coins of a purity equal to or greater than 900 thousandths and minted after 1800, which are or have been legal tender in the country of origin, and are normally sold at a price which does not exceed the open market value of the gold contained in the coins by more than 80 %.

Member States may exclude from this special scheme small bars or wafers of a weight of 1 g or less.

For the purposes of this Directive, the coins referred to in point (2) of paragraph 1 shall not be regarded as sold for numismatic interest.