iShares Gold Trust (IAU) 10-Q 3 Nov 21 2021 Q3 Quarterly report Financial data

Document And Entity Information

Document And Entity Information - shares	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021	Oct. 29, 2021
Document Information [Line Items]
Entity Central Index Key	0001278680
Entity Registrant Name	ISHARES GOLD TRUST
Amendment Flag	false
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q3
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2021
Document Type	10-Q
Document Quarterly Report	true
Document Period End Date	Sep. 30, 2021
Document Transition Report	false
Entity File Number	001-32418
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	NY
Entity Tax Identification Number	81-6124036
Entity Address, Address Line One	400 Howard Street
Entity Address, City or Town	San Francisco
Entity Address, State or Province	CA
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	94105
City Area Code	415
Local Phone Number	670-2000
Title of 12(b) Security	Shares
Trading Symbol	IAU
Security Exchange Name	NYSEArca
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		836,350,000

Statements of Assets and Liabil

Statements of Assets and Liabilities (Unaudited) - USD ($)		Sep. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Assets
Investment in gold bullion, at fair value	[1]	$ 27,909,324,999	$ 31,924,891,396
Total Assets		27,909,324,999	31,924,891,396
Liabilities
Sponsor’s fees payable		5,858,034	6,622,260
Total Liabilities		5,858,034	6,622,260
Commitments and contingent liabilities (Note 6)
Net Assets		$ 27,903,466,965	$ 31,918,269,136
Shares issued and outstanding (in shares)	[2],[3]	841,300,000	885,225,000
Net asset value per Share (Note 2C) (in dollars per share)	[3],[4]	$ 33.17	$ 36.06
[1]	Cost of investment in gold bullion: $24,019,749,178 and $25,014,142,586, respectively.
[2]	No par value, unlimited amount authorized.
[3]	Reflects a one-for-two reverse stock split effective at market open on May 24, 2021.
[4]	Per share amounts reflect a one-for-two reverse stock split effective at market open on May 24, 2021.

Statements of Assets and Liab_2

Statements of Assets and Liabilities (Unaudited) (Parentheticals) - USD ($) $ / shares in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Investment in gold bullion, cost	$ 24,019,749,178	$ 25,014,142,586
Shares, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0	$ 0
Shares, issued (in shares)	841,300,000	885,225,000

Statements of Operations (Unaud

Statements of Operations (Unaudited) - USD ($)		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020
Expenses
Sponsor’s fees		$ 18,059,257	$ 19,078,049	$ 54,767,768	$ 45,528,664
Total expenses		18,059,257	19,078,049	54,767,768	45,528,664
Net investment loss		(18,059,257)	(19,078,049)	(54,767,768)	(45,528,664)
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss)
Gold bullion sold to pay expenses		3,099,118	4,403,639	10,024,761	8,697,832
Gold bullion distributed for the redemption of Shares		127,976,249	73,471,118	462,275,097	279,243,655
Net realized gain		131,075,367	77,874,757	472,299,858	287,941,487
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation		(456,228,532)	1,620,716,613	(3,021,172,989)	4,530,607,690
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)		(325,153,165)	1,698,591,370	(2,548,873,131)	4,818,549,177
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations		$ (343,212,422)	$ 1,679,513,321	$ (2,603,640,899)	$ 4,773,020,513
Net increase (decrease) in net assets per Share (in dollars per share)	[1],[2]	$ (0.41)	$ 2	$ (3.05)	$ 6.54
[1]	Net increase (decrease) in net assets per Share based on average shares outstanding during the period.
[2]	Reflects a one-for-two reverse stock split effective at market open on May 24, 2021.

Statements of Changes in Net As

Statements of Changes in Net Assets (Unaudited) - USD ($)		3 Months Ended						9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2021	Mar. 31, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2020	Mar. 31, 2020	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020
Net Assets, Beginning of Period		$ 28,611,325,252	$ 27,393,007,009	$ 31,918,269,136	$ 25,912,624,790	$ 20,223,180,272	$ 17,628,525,082	$ 31,918,269,136	$ 17,628,525,082
Operations:
Net investment loss		(18,059,257)	(18,171,855)	(18,536,656)	(19,078,049)	(14,632,446)	(11,818,169)	(54,767,768)	(45,528,664)
Net realized gain		131,075,367	83,087,544	258,136,947	77,874,757	58,420,248	151,646,482	472,299,858	287,941,487
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation		(456,228,532)	1,053,747,875	(3,618,692,332)	1,620,716,613	2,078,877,217	831,013,860	(3,021,172,989)	4,530,607,690
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations		(343,212,422)	1,118,663,564	(3,379,092,041)	1,679,513,321	2,122,665,019	970,842,173	(2,603,640,899)	4,773,020,513
Capital Share Transactions:
Contributions for Shares issued		428,654,583	614,040,347	533,856,902	4,165,602,762	3,865,881,490	2,615,209,304
Distributions for Shares redeemed		(793,300,448)	(514,385,668)	(1,680,026,988)	(327,658,445)	(299,101,991)	(991,396,287)
Net increase (decrease) in net assets from capital share transactions		(364,645,865)	99,654,679	(1,146,170,086)	3,837,944,317	3,566,779,499	1,623,813,017
Increase (decrease) in net assets		(707,858,287)	1,218,318,243	(4,525,262,127)	5,517,457,638	5,689,444,518	2,594,655,190
Net Assets, End of Year		$ 27,903,466,965	$ 28,611,325,252	$ 27,393,007,009	$ 31,430,082,428	$ 25,912,624,790	$ 20,223,180,272	$ 27,903,466,965	$ 31,430,082,428
Shares issued and redeemed
Shares issued (in shares)	[1]							45,075,000	319,250,000
Shares redeemed (in shares)	[1]							(89,000,000)	(51,750,000)
Net increase (decrease) in Shares issued and outstanding (in shares)								(43,925,000)	267,500,000
[1]	Share transactions reflect a one-for-two reverse stock split effective at market open on May 24, 2021.

Statements of Cash Flows (Unaud

Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021	Mar. 31, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020	Mar. 31, 2020	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
Proceeds from gold bullion sold to pay expenses					$ 55,531,994	$ 42,623,290
Expenses – Sponsor's fees paid					(55,531,994)	(42,623,290)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities					0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash					0	0
Cash, beginning of period		$ 0		$ 0	0	0
Cash, end of period	$ 0		$ 0		0	0
Reconciliation of Net Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations to Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations	(343,212,422)	(3,379,092,041)	1,679,513,321	970,842,173	(2,603,640,899)	4,773,020,513
Adjustments to reconcile net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Proceeds from gold bullion sold to pay expenses					55,531,994	42,623,290
Net realized (gain) loss	(131,075,367)	(258,136,947)	(77,874,757)	(151,646,482)	(472,299,858)	(287,941,487)
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation	$ 456,228,532	$ 3,618,692,332	$ (1,620,716,613)	$ (831,013,860)	3,021,172,989	(4,530,607,690)
Change in operating assets and liabilities:
Sponsor’s fees payable					(764,226)	2,905,374
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities					0	0
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash information:
Gold bullion contributed for Shares issued					1,576,551,832	10,646,693,556
Gold bullion distributed for Shares redeemed					$ (2,987,713,104)	$ (1,618,156,723)

Schedules of Investments (Unaud

Schedules of Investments (Unaudited)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Notes to Financial Statements
Investment Holdings, Schedule of Investments [Text Block]	Gold Trust Schedules of Investments (Unaudited) At September 30, 2021 December 31, 2020 September 30, 2021 Description Ounces Cost Fair Value Gold bullion 16,014,073 $ 24,019,749,178 $ 27,909,324,999 Total Investments – 100.02% 27,909,324,999 Less Liabilities – (0.02)% (5,858,034 ) Net Assets – 100.00% $ 27,903,466,965 December 31, 2020 Description Ounces Cost Fair Value Gold bullion 16,881,652 $ 25,014,142,586 $ 31,924,891,396 Total Investments – 100.02% 31,924,891,396 Less Liabilities – (0.02)% (6,622,260 ) Net Assets – 100.00% $ 31,918,269,136 See notes to financial statements.

Note 1 - Organization

Note 1 - Organization	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Notes to Financial Statements
Business Description and Basis of Presentation [Text Block]	1 Organization The iShares Gold Trust (the “Trust”) was organized on January 21, 2005 December 22, 2016. The Trust seeks to reflect generally the performance of the price of gold. The Trust seeks to reflect such performance before payment of the Trust’s expenses and liabilities. The Trust is designed to provide a vehicle for investors to make an investment similar to an investment in gold. The accompanying unaudited financial statements were prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions for Form 10 not 10 December 31, 2020, March 1, 2021. The Trust qualifies as an investment company solely for accounting purposes and not 946, Financial Services - Investment Companies, not not 1940,

Note 2 - Significant Accounting

Note 2 - Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Notes to Financial Statements
Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]	2 Significant Accounting Policies A. Basis of Accounting The following significant accounting policies are consistently followed by the Trust in the preparation of its financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Certain statements and captions in the financial statements for the prior periods have been changed to conform to the current financial statement presentation. B. Gold Bullion JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A., London branch (the “Custodian”), is responsible for the safekeeping of gold bullion owned by the Trust. Fair value of the gold bullion held by the Trust is based on that day’s London Bullion Market Association (“LBMA”) Gold Price PM. “LBMA Gold Price PM” is the price per fine troy ounce of gold, stated in U.S. dollars, determined by ICE Benchmark Administration (“IBA”) following an electronic auction consisting of one 30 second 3:00 no 10:30 Gain or loss on sales of gold bullion is calculated on a trade date basis using the average cost method. The following tables summarize activity in gold bullion for the three September 30, 2021 2020: Three Months Ended September 30, 2021 Ounces Cost Fair Value Realized Beginning balance 16,230,858 $ 24,271,632,748 $ 28,617,437,101 $ — Gold bullion contributed 237,945 428,654,583 428,654,583 — Gold bullion distributed (444,564 ) (665,324,199 ) (793,300,448 ) 127,976,249 Gold bullion sold to pay expenses (10,166 ) (15,213,954 ) (18,313,072 ) 3,099,118 Net realized gain — — 131,075,367 — Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation — — (456,228,532 ) — Ending balance 16,014,073 $ 24,019,749,178 $ 27,909,324,999 $ 131,075,367 Three Months Ended September 30, 2020 Ounces Cost Fair Value Realized Beginning balance 14,658,518 $ 20,470,354,346 $ 25,917,726,586 $ — Gold bullion contributed 2,187,720 4,165,602,762 4,165,602,762 — Gold bullion distributed (176,520 ) (254,187,327 ) (327,658,445 ) 73,471,118 Gold bullion sold to pay expenses (9,260 ) (13,240,877 ) (17,644,516 ) 4,403,639 Net realized gain — — 77,874,757 — Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation — — 1,620,716,613 — Ending balance 16,660,458 $ 24,368,528,904 $ 31,436,617,757 $ 77,874,757 The following tables summarize activity in gold bullion for the nine September 30, 2021 2020: Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021 Ounces Cost Fair Value Realized Beginning balance 16,881,652 $ 25,014,142,586 $ 31,924,891,396 $ — Gold bullion contributed 858,637 1,576,551,832 1,576,551,832 — Gold bullion distributed (1,695,683 ) (2,525,438,007 ) (2,987,713,104 ) 462,275,097 Gold bullion sold to pay expenses (30,533 ) (45,507,233 ) (55,531,994 ) 10,024,761 Net realized gain — — 472,299,858 — Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation — — (3,021,172,989 ) — Ending balance 16,014,073 $ 24,019,749,178 $ 27,909,324,999 $ 472,299,858 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020 Ounces Cost Fair Value Realized Gain (Loss) Beginning balance 11,577,252 $ 15,094,673,874 $ 17,632,155,037 $ — Gold bullion contributed 6,096,339 10,646,693,556 10,646,693,556 — Gold bullion distributed (988,456 ) (1,338,913,068 ) (1,618,156,723 ) 279,243,655 Gold bullion sold to pay expenses (24,677 ) (33,925,458 ) (42,623,290 ) 8,697,832 Net realized gain — — 287,941,487 — Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation — — 4,530,607,690 — Ending balance 16,660,458 $ 24,368,528,904 $ 31,436,617,757 $ 287,941,487 C. Calculation of Net Asset Value On each business day, as soon as practicable after 4:00 D. Offering of the Shares Trust Shares are issued and redeemed continuously in aggregations of 50,000 Shares in exchange for gold bullion rather than cash. Individual investors cannot purchase or redeem Shares in direct transactions with the Trust. The Trust only transacts with registered broker-dealers that are eligible to settle securities transactions through the book-entry facilities of the Depository Trust Company and that have entered into a contractual arrangement with the Trustee and the Sponsor governing, among other matters, the creation and redemption of Shares (such broker-dealers, the “Authorized Participants”). Holders of Shares of the Trust may provided may not The per Share amount of gold exchanged for a purchase or redemption represents the per Share amount of gold held by the Trust, after giving effect to its liabilities. When gold bullion is exchanged in settlement of a redemption, it is considered a sale of gold bullion for accounting purposes. E. Federal Income Taxes The Trust is treated as a grantor trust for federal income tax purposes and, therefore, no The Sponsor has analyzed applicable tax laws and regulations and their application to the Trust as of September 30, 2021 not

Note 3 - Trust Expenses

Note 3 - Trust Expenses	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Notes to Financial Statements
Trust Expenses [Text Block]	3 Trust Expenses The Trust pays to the Sponsor a Sponsor’s fee that accrues daily at an annualized rate equal to 0.25% of the net asset value of the Trust, paid monthly in arrears. The Sponsor has agreed to assume the following administrative and marketing expenses incurred by the Trust: the Trustee’s fee and reimbursement for its reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, the Custodian’s fee, NYSE Arca listing fees, SEC registration fees, printing and mailing costs, audit fees and expenses, and up to $100,000 per annum in legal fees and expenses.

Note 4 - Related Parties

Note 4 - Related Parties	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Notes to Financial Statements
Related Party Transactions Disclosure [Text Block]	4 Related Parties The Sponsor and the Trustee are considered to be related parties to the Trust. The Trustee’s fee is paid by the Sponsor and is not

Note 5 - Indemnification

Note 5 - Indemnification	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Notes to Financial Statements
Indemnification [Text Block]	5 Indemnification The Trust Agreement provides that the Trustee shall indemnify the Sponsor, its directors, employees and agents against, and hold each of them harmless from, any loss, liability, cost, expense or judgment (including reasonable fees and expenses of counsel) (i) caused by the negligence or bad faith of the Trustee or (ii) arising out of any information furnished in writing to the Sponsor by the Trustee expressly for use in the registration statement, or any amendment thereto or periodic or other report filed with the SEC relating to the Shares that is not The Trust Agreement provides that the Sponsor and its shareholders, directors, officers, employees, affiliates (as such term is defined under the Securities Act of 1933, 1 2 The Trust has agreed that the Custodian will only be responsible for any loss or damage suffered by the Trust as a direct result of the Custodian’s negligence, fraud or willful default in the performance of its duties.

Note 6 - Commitments and Contin

Note 6 - Commitments and Contingent Liabilities	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Notes to Financial Statements
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]	6 Commitments and Contingent Liabilities In the normal course of business, the Trust may may not

Note 7 - Concentration Risk

Note 7 - Concentration Risk	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Notes to Financial Statements
Concentration Risk Disclosure [Text Block]	7 Concentration Risk Substantially all of the Trust’s assets are holdings of gold bullion, which creates a concentration risk associated with fluctuations in the price of gold. Accordingly, a decline in the price of gold will have an adverse effect on the value of the Shares of the Trust. Factors that may

Note 8 - Financial Highlights

Note 8 - Financial Highlights	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Notes to Financial Statements
Financial Highlights [Text Block]	8 Financial Highlights The following financial highlights relate to investment performance and operations for a Share outstanding for the three nine September 30, 2021 2020. Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended 2021 (a) 2020 (a) 2021 (a) 2020 (a) Net asset value per Share, beginning of period $ 33.58 $ 33.76 $ 36.06 $ 29.12 Net investment loss (b) (0.02 ) (0.02 ) (0.06 ) (0.06 ) Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) (c) (0.39 ) 2.26 (2.83 ) 6.94 Net increase (decrease) in net assets from operations (0.41 ) 2.24 (2.89 ) 6.88 Net asset value per Share, end of period $ 33.17 $ 36.00 $ 33.17 $ 36.00 Total return, at net asset value (d)(e) (1.22 )% 6.64 % (8.01 )% 23.63 % Ratio to average net assets: Net investment loss (f) (0.25 )% (0.25 )% (0.25 )% (0.25 )% Expenses (f) 0.25 % 0.25 % 0.25 % 0.25 % (a) Per share amounts reflect a one two May 24, 2021. (b) Based on average Shares outstanding during the period. (c) The amounts reported for a Share outstanding may not (d) Based on the change in net asset value of a Share during the period. (e) Percentage is not (f) Percentage is annualized.

Note 9 - Investment Valuation

Note 9 - Investment Valuation	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Notes to Financial Statements
Fair Value Disclosures [Text Block]	9 Investment Valuation U.S. GAAP defines fair value as the price the Trust would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Trust’s policy is to value its investment at fair value. Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of assets and liabilities. Inputs may may three three Level 1 Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities; Level 2 Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 not Level 3 Unobservable inputs that are unobservable for the asset or liability, including the Trust’s assumptions used in determining the fair value of investments. At September 30, 2021 December 31, 2020, 1.

Significant Accounting Policies

Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Accounting, Policy [Policy Text Block]	A. Basis of Accounting The following significant accounting policies are consistently followed by the Trust in the preparation of its financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Certain statements and captions in the financial statements for the prior periods have been changed to conform to the current financial statement presentation.
Investment, Policy [Policy Text Block]	B. Gold Bullion JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A., London branch (the “Custodian”), is responsible for the safekeeping of gold bullion owned by the Trust. Fair value of the gold bullion held by the Trust is based on that day’s London Bullion Market Association (“LBMA”) Gold Price PM. “LBMA Gold Price PM” is the price per fine troy ounce of gold, stated in U.S. dollars, determined by ICE Benchmark Administration (“IBA”) following an electronic auction consisting of one 30 second 3:00 no 10:30 Gain or loss on sales of gold bullion is calculated on a trade date basis using the average cost method. The following tables summarize activity in gold bullion for the three September 30, 2021 2020: Three Months Ended September 30, 2021 Ounces Cost Fair Value Realized Beginning balance 16,230,858 $ 24,271,632,748 $ 28,617,437,101 $ — Gold bullion contributed 237,945 428,654,583 428,654,583 — Gold bullion distributed (444,564 ) (665,324,199 ) (793,300,448 ) 127,976,249 Gold bullion sold to pay expenses (10,166 ) (15,213,954 ) (18,313,072 ) 3,099,118 Net realized gain — — 131,075,367 — Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation — — (456,228,532 ) — Ending balance 16,014,073 $ 24,019,749,178 $ 27,909,324,999 $ 131,075,367 Three Months Ended September 30, 2020 Ounces Cost Fair Value Realized Beginning balance 14,658,518 $ 20,470,354,346 $ 25,917,726,586 $ — Gold bullion contributed 2,187,720 4,165,602,762 4,165,602,762 — Gold bullion distributed (176,520 ) (254,187,327 ) (327,658,445 ) 73,471,118 Gold bullion sold to pay expenses (9,260 ) (13,240,877 ) (17,644,516 ) 4,403,639 Net realized gain — — 77,874,757 — Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation — — 1,620,716,613 — Ending balance 16,660,458 $ 24,368,528,904 $ 31,436,617,757 $ 77,874,757 The following tables summarize activity in gold bullion for the nine September 30, 2021 2020: Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021 Ounces Cost Fair Value Realized Beginning balance 16,881,652 $ 25,014,142,586 $ 31,924,891,396 $ — Gold bullion contributed 858,637 1,576,551,832 1,576,551,832 — Gold bullion distributed (1,695,683 ) (2,525,438,007 ) (2,987,713,104 ) 462,275,097 Gold bullion sold to pay expenses (30,533 ) (45,507,233 ) (55,531,994 ) 10,024,761 Net realized gain — — 472,299,858 — Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation — — (3,021,172,989 ) — Ending balance 16,014,073 $ 24,019,749,178 $ 27,909,324,999 $ 472,299,858 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020 Ounces Cost Fair Value Realized Gain (Loss) Beginning balance 11,577,252 $ 15,094,673,874 $ 17,632,155,037 $ — Gold bullion contributed 6,096,339 10,646,693,556 10,646,693,556 — Gold bullion distributed (988,456 ) (1,338,913,068 ) (1,618,156,723 ) 279,243,655 Gold bullion sold to pay expenses (24,677 ) (33,925,458 ) (42,623,290 ) 8,697,832 Net realized gain — — 287,941,487 — Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation — — 4,530,607,690 — Ending balance 16,660,458 $ 24,368,528,904 $ 31,436,617,757 $ 287,941,487
Calculation of Net Asset Value [Policy Text Block]	C. Calculation of Net Asset Value On each business day, as soon as practicable after 4:00
Offering of the Shares [Policy Text Block]	D. Offering of the Shares Trust Shares are issued and redeemed continuously in aggregations of 50,000 Shares in exchange for gold bullion rather than cash. Individual investors cannot purchase or redeem Shares in direct transactions with the Trust. The Trust only transacts with registered broker-dealers that are eligible to settle securities transactions through the book-entry facilities of the Depository Trust Company and that have entered into a contractual arrangement with the Trustee and the Sponsor governing, among other matters, the creation and redemption of Shares (such broker-dealers, the “Authorized Participants”). Holders of Shares of the Trust may provided may not The per Share amount of gold exchanged for a purchase or redemption represents the per Share amount of gold held by the Trust, after giving effect to its liabilities. When gold bullion is exchanged in settlement of a redemption, it is considered a sale of gold bullion for accounting purposes.
Income Tax, Policy [Policy Text Block]	E. Federal Income Taxes The Trust is treated as a grantor trust for federal income tax purposes and, therefore, no The Sponsor has analyzed applicable tax laws and regulations and their application to the Trust as of September 30, 2021 not

Schedules of Investments (Una_2

Schedules of Investments (Unaudited) (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Notes Tables
Investment [Table Text Block]	Description Ounces Cost Fair Value Gold bullion 16,014,073 $ 24,019,749,178 $ 27,909,324,999 Total Investments – 100.02% 27,909,324,999 Less Liabilities – (0.02)% (5,858,034 ) Net Assets – 100.00% $ 27,903,466,965 Description Ounces Cost Fair Value Gold bullion 16,881,652 $ 25,014,142,586 $ 31,924,891,396 Total Investments – 100.02% 31,924,891,396 Less Liabilities – (0.02)% (6,622,260 ) Net Assets – 100.00% $ 31,918,269,136

Note 2 - Significant Accounti_2

Note 2 - Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Notes Tables
Activity in Gold Bullion [Table Text Block]	Three Months Ended September 30, 2021 Ounces Cost Fair Value Realized Beginning balance 16,230,858 $ 24,271,632,748 $ 28,617,437,101 $ — Gold bullion contributed 237,945 428,654,583 428,654,583 — Gold bullion distributed (444,564 ) (665,324,199 ) (793,300,448 ) 127,976,249 Gold bullion sold to pay expenses (10,166 ) (15,213,954 ) (18,313,072 ) 3,099,118 Net realized gain — — 131,075,367 — Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation — — (456,228,532 ) — Ending balance 16,014,073 $ 24,019,749,178 $ 27,909,324,999 $ 131,075,367 Three Months Ended September 30, 2020 Ounces Cost Fair Value Realized Beginning balance 14,658,518 $ 20,470,354,346 $ 25,917,726,586 $ — Gold bullion contributed 2,187,720 4,165,602,762 4,165,602,762 — Gold bullion distributed (176,520 ) (254,187,327 ) (327,658,445 ) 73,471,118 Gold bullion sold to pay expenses (9,260 ) (13,240,877 ) (17,644,516 ) 4,403,639 Net realized gain — — 77,874,757 — Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation — — 1,620,716,613 — Ending balance 16,660,458 $ 24,368,528,904 $ 31,436,617,757 $ 77,874,757 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021 Ounces Cost Fair Value Realized Beginning balance 16,881,652 $ 25,014,142,586 $ 31,924,891,396 $ — Gold bullion contributed 858,637 1,576,551,832 1,576,551,832 — Gold bullion distributed (1,695,683 ) (2,525,438,007 ) (2,987,713,104 ) 462,275,097 Gold bullion sold to pay expenses (30,533 ) (45,507,233 ) (55,531,994 ) 10,024,761 Net realized gain — — 472,299,858 — Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation — — (3,021,172,989 ) — Ending balance 16,014,073 $ 24,019,749,178 $ 27,909,324,999 $ 472,299,858 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020 Ounces Cost Fair Value Realized Gain (Loss) Beginning balance 11,577,252 $ 15,094,673,874 $ 17,632,155,037 $ — Gold bullion contributed 6,096,339 10,646,693,556 10,646,693,556 — Gold bullion distributed (988,456 ) (1,338,913,068 ) (1,618,156,723 ) 279,243,655 Gold bullion sold to pay expenses (24,677 ) (33,925,458 ) (42,623,290 ) 8,697,832 Net realized gain — — 287,941,487 — Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation — — 4,530,607,690 — Ending balance 16,660,458 $ 24,368,528,904 $ 31,436,617,757 $ 287,941,487

Note 8 - Financial Highlights (

Note 8 - Financial Highlights (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021
Notes Tables
Financial Highlights [Table Text Block]	Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended 2021 (a) 2020 (a) 2021 (a) 2020 (a) Net asset value per Share, beginning of period $ 33.58 $ 33.76 $ 36.06 $ 29.12 Net investment loss (b) (0.02 ) (0.02 ) (0.06 ) (0.06 ) Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) (c) (0.39 ) 2.26 (2.83 ) 6.94 Net increase (decrease) in net assets from operations (0.41 ) 2.24 (2.89 ) 6.88 Net asset value per Share, end of period $ 33.17 $ 36.00 $ 33.17 $ 36.00 Total return, at net asset value (d)(e) (1.22 )% 6.64 % (8.01 )% 23.63 % Ratio to average net assets: Net investment loss (f) (0.25 )% (0.25 )% (0.25 )% (0.25 )% Expenses (f) 0.25 % 0.25 % 0.25 % 0.25 %

Schedules of Investments (Una_3

Schedules of Investments (Unaudited) - Investments (Details)	Sep. 30, 2021USD ($)oz	Jun. 30, 2021USD ($)oz	Mar. 31, 2021USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)oz	Sep. 30, 2020USD ($)oz	Jun. 30, 2020USD ($)oz	Mar. 31, 2020USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019USD ($)oz
Gold bullion (Ounce) | oz	16,014,073	16,230,858		16,881,652	16,660,458	14,658,518		11,577,252
Investment in gold bullion, cost	$ 24,019,749,178	$ 24,271,632,748		$ 25,014,142,586	$ 24,368,528,904	$ 20,470,354,346		$ 15,094,673,874
Gold bullion fair value	27,909,324,999			31,924,891,396
Less Liabilities	(5,858,034)			(6,622,260)
Net Assets	$ 27,903,466,965	$ 28,611,325,252	$ 27,393,007,009	$ 31,918,269,136	$ 31,430,082,428	$ 25,912,624,790	$ 20,223,180,272	$ 17,628,525,082

Schedules of Investments (Una_4

Schedules of Investments (Unaudited) - Investments (Details) (Parentheticals)	Sep. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Total investment, percentage of net asset value	100.02%	100.02%
Less liabilities, percentage of net asset value	(0.02%)	(0.02%)
Net assets, percentage of net asset value	100.00%	100.00%

Note 2 - Significant Accounti_3

Note 2 - Significant Accounting Policies (Details Textual)	Sep. 30, 2021shares
Shares Prescribed Aggregation (in shares)	50,000

Note 2 - Significant Accounti_4

Note 2 - Significant Accounting Policies - Activity in Gold Bullion (Details)	3 Months Ended								9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021USD ($)oz		Jun. 30, 2021USD ($)oz	Mar. 31, 2021USD ($)oz		Sep. 30, 2020USD ($)oz	Jun. 30, 2020USD ($)oz	Mar. 31, 2020USD ($)oz	Sep. 30, 2021USD ($)oz		Sep. 30, 2020USD ($)oz
Beginning balance (Ounce) | oz	16,230,858			16,881,652		14,658,518		11,577,252	16,881,652		11,577,252
Beginning balance, average cost	$ 24,271,632,748			$ 25,014,142,586		$ 20,470,354,346		$ 15,094,673,874	$ 25,014,142,586		$ 15,094,673,874
Beginning balance, fair value	$ 28,617,437,101			31,924,891,396	[1]	$ 25,917,726,586		17,632,155,037	$ 31,924,891,396	[1]	$ 17,632,155,037
Gold bullion contributed (Ounce) | oz	237,945					2,187,720			858,637		6,096,339
Gold bullion contributed, average cost	$ 428,654,583					$ 4,165,602,762			$ 1,576,551,832		$ 10,646,693,556
Gold bullion contributed, fair value	$ 428,654,583					$ 4,165,602,762			$ 1,576,551,832		$ 10,646,693,556
Gold bullion distributed (Ounce) | oz	(444,564)					(176,520)			(1,695,683)		(988,456)
Gold bullion distributed, average cost	$ (665,324,199)					$ (254,187,327)			$ (2,525,438,007)		$ (1,338,913,068)
Gold bullion distributed, fair value	(793,300,448)					(327,658,445)			(2,987,713,104)		(1,618,156,723)
Gold bullion distributed, realized gain (loss)	$ 127,976,249					$ 73,471,118			$ 462,275,097		$ 279,243,655
Gold bullion sold to pay expenses (Ounce) | oz	(10,166)					(9,260)			(30,533)		(24,677)
Gold bullion sold to pay expenses, average cost	$ (15,213,954)					$ (13,240,877)			$ (45,507,233)		$ (33,925,458)
Gold bullion sold to pay expenses, fair value	(18,313,072)					(17,644,516)			(55,531,994)		(42,623,290)
Gold bullion sold to pay expenses, realized gain (loss)	3,099,118					4,403,639			10,024,761		8,697,832
Net realized gain	131,075,367		$ 83,087,544	258,136,947		77,874,757	$ 58,420,248	151,646,482	472,299,858		287,941,487
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation, fair value	$ (456,228,532)		$ 1,053,747,875	(3,618,692,332)		$ 1,620,716,613	$ 2,078,877,217	831,013,860	$ (3,021,172,989)		$ 4,530,607,690
Ending balance (Ounce) | oz	16,014,073		16,230,858			16,660,458	14,658,518		16,014,073		16,660,458
Ending balance, average cost	$ 24,019,749,178		$ 24,271,632,748			$ 24,368,528,904	$ 20,470,354,346		$ 24,019,749,178		$ 24,368,528,904
Ending balance, fair value	27,909,324,999	[1]	28,617,437,101			31,436,617,757	25,917,726,586		27,909,324,999	[1]	31,436,617,757
Ending balance, realized gain (loss)	$ 131,075,367		$ 83,087,544	$ 258,136,947		$ 77,874,757	$ 58,420,248	$ 151,646,482	$ 472,299,858		$ 287,941,487
[1]	Cost of investment in gold bullion: $24,019,749,178 and $25,014,142,586, respectively.

Note 3 - Trust Expenses (Detail

Note 3 - Trust Expenses (Details Textual)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021USD ($)
Sponsors Fee Annualized Accrual Rate Based on Daily Net Asset Value	0.25%
Maximum [Member]
Legal Fees Per Year	$ 100,000

Note 8 - Financial Highlights_2

Note 8 - Financial Highlights (Details Textual)	May 24, 2021
Reverse Stock Split [Member]
Stockholders' Equity Note, Stock Split, Conversion Ratio	2

Note 8 - Financial Highlights -

Note 8 - Financial Highlights - Financial Highlights (Details) - $ / shares		3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2021		Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2021		Sep. 30, 2020
Net asset value per Share, beginning of period (in dollars per share)	[1]	$ 33.58		$ 33.76	$ 36.06	[2]	$ 29.12
Net investment loss (in dollars per share)	[1],[3]	(0.02)		(0.02)	(0.06)		(0.06)
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) (in dollars per share)	[1],[4]	(0.39)		2.26	(2.83)		6.94
Net increase (decrease) in net assets from operations (in dollars per share)	[1]	(0.41)		2.24	(2.89)		6.88
Net asset value per Share, end of period (in dollars per share)	[1]	$ 33.17	[2]	$ 36	$ 33.17	[2]	$ 36
Total return, at net asset value	[1],[5],[6]	(1.22%)		6.64%	(8.01%)		23.63%
Ratio to average net assets:
Net investment loss	[1],[7]	(0.25%)		(0.25%)	(0.25%)		(0.25%)
Expenses	[1],[7]	0.25%		0.25%	0.25%		0.25%
[1]	Per share amounts reflect a one-for-two reverse stock split effective at market open on May 24, 2021.
[2]	Reflects a one-for-two reverse stock split effective at market open on May 24, 2021.
[3]	Based on average Shares outstanding during the period.
[4]	The amounts reported for a Share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses on investment for the period due to the timing of Trust Share transactions in relation to the fluctuating fair values of the Trust's underlying investment.
[5]	Based on the change in net asset value of a Share during the period.
[6]	Percentage is not annualized.
[7]	Percentage is annualized.