Mitsubishi lays claim to the "World's Largest Gold Bullion," with a single bar that weighs 250 kilograms. Gold currently sells at roughly $438 per ounce. This bar is worth $3,862,498.83. That'd be a nice chunk of metal to have sitting around.

Mitsubishi Materials' Precious Metal Division announced o­n the 16th that they have successfully minted the world's largest gold bullion at a weight of 250 kg.

The bottom of the bullion is 45.5cm x 22.5cm, the top 38cm x 16cm, and the height is 17cm. Calculating based o­n the gram unit price, the current value is roughly 400 million yen. If put into gold leaf, there would be over 70,000 tatami mats (Translator's note: "tatami mats" are a unit of area measurement in Japan, where o­ne tatami mat is roughly 190cm x 95cm), or it could cover the surface area of the Tokyo Dome 2.6 times.

The bullion was minted at Mitsubishi's Naoshima Smelting Plant in Kagawa Prefecture's Naoshima Town. From minting to cooling, using original technology, the surface has been beautifully completed.

Mitsubishi Materials minted a 120kg bullion in 1995, and a 200kg bullion in 2000. The 200kg bullion was carried in the Guiness Book of World Records as the world's largest.

But in October of 2004, a 220kg bullion minted by the Taiwanese government stole this title: "As proof to the world of our position o­n superior minting technology as the leading gold company, we decided to make a larger bullion" (Mitsubishi). The company applied to the Guiness Book o­n June 15th for revision of the entry.

Mitsubishi Material plans to present this bullion to the general public from July 11th at the "Toi Kinzan," a sightseeing facility operated by Toi Marin Sightseeing in Shizuoka Prefecture's Toi.

Inspired by:
http://nikkeibp.jp/wcs/leaf/CID/onair/jp/biz/381372

Press Release:
http://www.mmc.co.jp/japanese/news/2005/news20050616.html