10-Q

Table of Contents

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

☒	Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
	For the quarterly period ended June 30, 2017

☐	Transition report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
	For the transition period from ________ to ________

Commission file number: 001-32418

iShares® Gold Trust

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

New York	81-6124036
(State or other jurisdiction of	(I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)	Identification No.)

c/o iShares Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC

400 Howard Street

San Francisco, California 94105

Attn: Product Management Team

iShares Product Research & Development

(Address of principal executive offices)

(415) 670-2000

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

N/A

(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer   ☒	Accelerated filer   ☐
Non-accelerated filer   ☐	Smaller reporting company   ☐	Emerging growth company   ☐
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

Table of Contents

		Page
PART I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1.	Financial Statements (Unaudited)	1
	Statements of Assets and Liabilities at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016	1
	Statements of Operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016	2
	Statements of Changes in Net Assets for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and the year ended December 31, 2016	3
	Statements of Cash Flows for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016	4
	Schedules of Investments at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016	5
	Notes to Financial Statements	6
Item 2.	Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations	10
Item 3.	Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk	11
Item 4.	Controls and Procedures	11
PART II – OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1.	Legal Proceedings	12
Item 1A.	Risk Factors	12
Item 2.	Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds	12
Item 3.	Defaults Upon Senior Securities	12
Item 4.	Mine Safety Disclosures	12
Item 5.	Other Information	12
Item 6.	Exhibits	13
SIGNATURES		14

PART 1 – FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements

iShares Gold Trust

Statements of Assets and Liabilities (Unaudited)

At June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016

	June 30,		December 31,
	2017		2016
Assets
Investment in gold bullion, at fair value(a)	$	8,401,202,679	$	7,311,674,849
Total Assets		8,401,202,679		7,311,674,849
Liabilities
Sponsor’s fees payable		1,723,222		1,543,829
Total Liabilities		1,723,222		1,543,829
Commitments and contingent liabilities (Note 6)		—		—
Net Assets	$	8,399,479,457	$	7,310,131,020
Shares issued and outstanding(b)		703,100,000		655,000,000
Net asset value per Share (Note 2C)	$	11.95	$	11.16

(a) Cost of investment in gold bullion: $8,277,677,317 and $7,706,923,343, respectively.

(b) No par value, unlimited amount authorized.

See notes to financial statements.

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iShares Gold Trust

Statements of Operations (Unaudited)

For the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016

	Three Months Ended						Six Months Ended
	June 30,						June 30,
	2017			2016			2017			2016
Expenses
Sponsor’s fees	$	5,140,279		$	4,892,237		$	9,939,452		$	9,074,743
Total expenses		5,140,279			4,892,237			9,939,452			9,074,743
Net investment loss		(5,140,279	)		(4,892,237	)		(9,939,452	)		(9,074,743	)
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss)
Net realized gain (loss) from:
Gold bullion sold to pay expenses		136,474			146,955			42,572			(10,907	)
Gold bullion distributed for the redemption of Shares		2,432,470			2,332,465			4,544,623			9,497,303
Net realized gain		2,568,944			2,479,420			4,587,195			9,486,396
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation		(27,785,695	)		512,648,845			518,773,856			1,447,744,760
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)		(25,216,751	)		515,128,265			523,361,051			1,457,231,156
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations	$	(30,357,030	)	$	510,236,028		$	513,421,599		$	1,448,156,413
Net increase (decrease) in net assets per Share	$	(0.04	)	$	0.78		$	0.76		$	2.33

See notes to financial statements.

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iShares Gold Trust

Statements of Changes in Net Assets (Unaudited)

For the six months ended June 30, 2017 and the year ended December 31, 2016

	Six Months Ended			Year Ended
	June 30, 2017			December 31, 2016
Net Assets, Beginning of Period	$	7,310,131,020		$	5,209,802,846
Operations:
Net investment loss		(9,939,452	)		(20,312,154	)
Net realized gain		4,587,195			25,068,804
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation		518,773,856			303,987,270
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations		513,421,599			308,743,920
Capital Share Transactions:
Contributions for Shares issued		999,543,283			3,784,339,342
Distributions for Shares redeemed		(423,616,445	)		(1,992,755,088	)
Net increase in net assets from capital share transactions		575,926,838			1,791,584,254
Increase in net assets		1,089,348,437			2,100,328,174
Net Assets, End of Period	$	8,399,479,457		$	7,310,131,020
Shares issued and redeemed
Shares issued		83,750,000			314,850,000
Shares redeemed		(35,650,000	)		(167,950,000	)
Net increase in Shares issued and outstanding		48,100,000			146,900,000

See notes to financial statements.

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iShares Gold Trust

Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)

For the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016

	Six Months Ended June 30,
	2017			2016
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
Proceeds from gold bullion sold to pay expenses	$	9,760,059		$	8,540,156
Expenses – Sponsor’s fees paid		(9,760,059	)		(8,540,156	)
Net cash provided by operating activities		—			—
Increase (decrease) in cash		—			—
Cash, beginning of period		—			—
Cash, end of period	$	—		$	—
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	$	513,421,599		$	1,448,156,413
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		9,760,059			8,540,156
Net realized (gain) loss		(4,587,195	)		(9,486,396	)
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation		(518,773,856	)		(1,447,744,760	)
Change in operating assets and liabilities:
Sponsor’s fees payable		179,393			534,587
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$	—		$	—
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash information:
Gold bullion contributed for Shares issued	$	999,543,283		$	2,652,702,811
Gold bullion distributed for Shares redeemed	$	(423,616,445	)	$	(472,601,825	)

See notes to financial statements.

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iShares Gold Trust

Schedules of Investments (Unaudited)

At June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016

June 30, 2017

Description	Ounces		Cost		Fair Value
Gold bullion		6,762,892	$	8,277,677,317	$	8,401,202,679
Total Investment – 100.02%						8,401,202,679
Less Liabilities – (0.02)%						(1,723,222	)
Net Assets – 100.00%					$	8,399,479,457

December 31, 2016

Description	Ounces		Cost		Fair Value
Gold bullion		6,308,062	$	7,706,923,343	$	7,311,674,849
Total Investment – 100.02%						7,311,674,849
Less Liabilities – (0.02)%						(1,543,829	)
Net Assets – 100.00%					$	7,310,131,020

See notes to financial statements.

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iShares Gold Trust

Notes to Financial Statements (Unaudited)

June 30, 2017

1 - Organization

The iShares Gold Trust (the “Trust”) was organized on January 21, 2005 as a New York trust. The trustee is The Bank of New York Mellon (the “Trustee”), which is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Trust. The Trust’s sponsor is iShares Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”). The Trust is governed by the provisions of the Fourth Amended and Restated Depositary Trust Agreement (the “Trust Agreement”) executed by the Trustee and the Sponsor on December 22, 2016. The Trust issues units of beneficial interest (“Shares”) representing fractional undivided beneficial interests in its net assets.

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-Q and the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). In the opinion of management, all material adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments considered necessary for a fair statement of the interim period financial statements have been made. Interim period results are not necessarily indicative of results for a full-year period. These financial statements and the notes thereto should be read in conjunction with the Trust’s financial statements included in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, as filed with the SEC on February 24, 2017.

The Trust qualifies as an investment company solely for accounting purposes and not for any other purpose and follows the accounting and reporting guidance under the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946, Financial Services - Investment Companies, but is not registered and is not required to be registered, as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

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 years 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 is based on the price of gold determined in an auction hosted by ICE Benchmark Administration (“IBA”) in the afternoon (London time), on each day that the London gold market is open for business, and announced by the London Bullion Market Limited Association shortly thereafter (such price, the “LBMA Gold Price PM”). If there is no announced LBMA Gold Price PM on a business day, the Trustee is authorized to use the most recently announced price of gold determined in an auction hosted by IBA in the morning (London time) of the day the valuation takes place (such price, the “LBMA Gold Price AM”).

Gain or loss on sales of gold bullion is calculated on a trade date basis using the average cost method.

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The following tables summarize activity in gold bullion for the three months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016:

Three Months Ended June 30, 2017	Ounces			Average Cost			Fair Value			Realized Gain (Loss)
Beginning balance		6,425,460		$	7,847,423,443		$	7,998,734,500		$	—
Gold bullion contributed		450,189			568,086,499			568,086,499			—
Gold bullion distributed		(108,710	)		(132,886,400	)		(135,318,870	)		2,432,470
Gold bullion sold to pay expenses		(4,047	)		(4,946,225	)		(5,082,699	)		136,474
Net realized gain		—			—			2,568,944			—
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation		—			—			(27,785,695	)		—
Ending balance		6,762,892		$	8,277,677,317		$	8,401,202,679		$	2,568,944

Three Months Ended June 30, 2016	Ounces			Average Cost			Fair Value			Realized Gain (Loss)
Beginning balance		5,990,515		$	7,174,407,233		$	7,410,267,384		$	—
Gold bullion contributed		820,637			1,058,872,811			1,058,872,811			—
Gold bullion distributed		(114,276	)		(137,359,506	)		(139,691,971	)		2,332,465
Gold bullion sold to pay expenses		(3,912	)		(4,697,404	)		(4,844,359	)		146,955
Net realized gain		—			—			2,479,420			—
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation		—			—			512,648,845			—
Ending balance		6,692,964		$	8,091,223,134		$	8,839,732,130		$	2,479,420

The following tables summarize activity in gold bullion for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016:

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017	Ounces			Average Cost			Fair Value			Realized Gain (Loss)
Beginning balance		6,308,062		$	7,706,923,343		$	7,311,674,849		$	—
Gold bullion contributed		805,861			999,543,283			999,543,283			—
Gold bullion distributed		(343,077	)		(419,071,822	)		(423,616,445	)		4,544,623
Gold bullion sold to pay expenses		(7,954	)		(9,717,487	)		(9,760,059	)		42,572
Net realized gain		—			—			4,587,195			—
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation		—			—			518,773,856			—
Ending balance		6,762,892		$	8,277,677,317		$	8,401,202,679		$	4,587,195

Six Months Ended June 30, 2016	Ounces			Average Cost			Fair Value			Realized Gain (Loss)
Beginning balance		4,905,568		$	5,910,175,908		$	5,210,940,144		$	—
Gold bullion contributed		2,180,850			2,652,702,811			2,652,702,811			—
Gold bullion distributed		(386,328	)		(463,104,522	)		(472,601,825	)		9,497,303
Gold bullion sold to pay expenses		(7,126	)		(8,551,063	)		(8,540,156	)		(10,907	)
Net realized gain		—			—			9,486,396			—
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation		—			—			1,447,744,760			—
Ending balance		6,692,964		$	8,091,223,134		$	8,839,732,130		$	9,486,396

C. Calculation of Net Asset Value

On each business day, as soon as practicable after 4:00 p.m. (New York time), the net asset value of the Trust is obtained by subtracting all accrued fees, expenses and other liabilities of the Trust from the fair value of the gold and other assets held by the Trust. The Trustee computes the net asset value per Share (“NAV”) by dividing the net asset value of the Trust by the number of Shares outstanding on the date the computation is made.

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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 Trust 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 redeem their Shares at any time acting through an Authorized Participant and in the prescribed aggregations of 50,000 Shares; provided, that redemptions of Shares may be suspended during any period while regular trading on NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca”) is suspended or restricted, or in which an emergency exists as a result of which delivery, disposal or evaluation of gold is not reasonably practicable.

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. The Trustee calculates the gold amount in respect of any liabilities of the Trust daily using the LBMA Gold Price PM. If there is no announced LBMA Gold Price PM on a business day, the Trustee is authorized to use the most recently announced LBMA Gold Price AM.

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 provision for federal income taxes is required. Any interest, expenses, gains and losses are passed through to the holders of Shares of the Trust.

The Sponsor has reviewed the tax positions as of June 30, 2017 and has determined that no provision for income tax is required in the Trust’s financial statements.

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, 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.

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 a separate expense of the Trust.

5 - Indemnification

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, as amended) and subsidiaries shall be indemnified from the Trust and held harmless against any loss, liability, or expense arising out of or in connection with the performance of their obligations under the Trust Agreement or any actions taken in accordance with the provisions of the Trust Agreement and incurred without their (1) negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct or (2) reckless disregard of their obligations and duties under the Trust Agreement.

The Trust has agreed to indemnify the Custodian for any loss incurred in connection with the custodian agreement, other than losses due to the Custodian’s negligence, fraud or willful default.

6 - Commitments and Contingent Liabilities

In the normal course of business, the Trust may enter into contracts with service providers that contain general indemnification clauses. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Trust that have not yet occurred.

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 have the effect of causing a decline in the price of gold include large sales by the official sector (governments, central banks, and related institutions), an increase in the hedging activities of gold producers, and changes in the attitude of speculators, investors and other market participants towards gold.

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8 - Financial Highlights

The following financial highlights relate to investment performance and operations for a Share outstanding for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016.

	Three Months Ended June 30,						Six Months Ended June 30,
	2017			2016			2017			2016
Net asset value per Share, beginning of period	$	11.98		$	11.93		$	11.16		$	10.25
Net investment loss(a)		(0.01	)		(0.01	)		(0.01	)		(0.01	)
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)		(0.02	)		0.81			0.80			2.49
Net increase (decrease) in net assets from operations		(0.03	)		0.80			0.79			2.48
Net asset value per Share, end of period	$	11.95		$	12.73		$	11.95		$	12.73
Total return, at net asset value(c)(d)		(0.25	)%		6.71	%		7.08	%		24.20	%
Ratio to average net assets:
Net investment loss(e)		(0.25	)%		(0.25	)%		(0.25	)%		(0.25	)%
Expenses(e)		0.25	%		0.25	%		0.25	%		0.25	%

(a) Based on average Shares outstanding during the period.

(b) 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.

(c) Based on the change in net asset value of a Share during the period.

(d) Percentage is not annualized.

(e) Percentage is annualized.

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 be based on independent market data (“observable inputs”) or they may be internally developed (“unobservable inputs”). These inputs are categorized into a disclosure hierarchy consisting of three broad levels for financial reporting purposes. The level of a value determined for an asset or liability within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:

Level 1 –  Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;

Level 2 –  Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability either directly or indirectly, including quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not considered to be active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability, and inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means; and

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 June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the value of the gold bullion held by the Trust is categorized as Level 1.

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Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

This information should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes to financial statements included in Item 1 of Part I of this Form 10‑Q. The discussion and analysis that follows may contain statements that relate to future events or future performance. In some cases, such forward‑looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Except as required by applicable disclosure laws, neither the Sponsor, nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any forward-looking statements. Neither the Trust nor the Sponsor is under a duty to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform such statements to actual results or to a change in the Sponsor’s expectations or predictions.

Introduction

The iShares Gold Trust (the “Trust”) is a grantor trust formed under the laws of the State of New York. The Trust does not have any officers, directors, or employees, and is administered by The Bank of New York Mellon (the “Trustee”) acting as trustee pursuant to the Fourth Amended and Restated Depositary Trust Agreement (the “Trust Agreement”) between the Trustee and iShares Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC, the sponsor of the Trust (the “Sponsor”). The Trust issues units of beneficial interest (“Shares”) representing fractional undivided beneficial interests in its net assets. The assets of the Trust consist primarily of gold bullion held by a custodian as an agent of the Trust responsible only to the Trustee.

The Trust is a passive investment vehicle and 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 does not engage in any activities designed to obtain a profit from, or ameliorate losses caused by, changes in the price of gold.

The Trust issues and redeems Shares only in exchange for gold, only in aggregations of 50,000 Shares or integral multiples thereof (each, a “Basket”), and only in transactions with registered broker-dealers that have previously entered into an agreement with the Trust governing the terms and conditions of such issuance (such broker-dealers, the “Authorized Participants”). A list of current Authorized Participants is available from the Sponsor or the Trustee.

Shares of the Trust trade on NYSE Arca, Inc. under the symbol IAU.

Valuation of Gold; Computation of Net Asset Value

On each business day, as soon as practicable after 4:00 p.m. (New York time), the Trustee evaluates the gold held by the Trust and determines the net asset value of the Trust and the NAV. The Trustee values the gold held by the Trust using that day’s LBMA Gold Price PM. If there is no announced LBMA Gold Price PM on a business day, the Trustee is authorized to use that day’s LBMA Gold Price AM. Having valued the gold held by the Trust, the Trustee then subtracts all accrued fees, expenses and other liabilities of the Trust from the value of the gold and other assets of the Trust. The result is the net asset value of the Trust. The Trustee computes the NAV by dividing the net asset value of the Trust by the number of Shares outstanding on the date the computation is made.

Liquidity

The Trust is not aware of any trends, demands, conditions or events that are reasonably likely to result in material changes to its liquidity needs. In exchange for a fee, the Sponsor has agreed to assume most of the expenses incurred by the Trust. As a result, the only ordinary expense of the Trust during the period covered by this report was the Sponsor’s fee. The Trust’s only source of liquidity is its sales of gold.

Critical Accounting Policies

The financial statements and accompanying notes are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The preparation of these financial statements relies on estimates and assumptions that impact the Trust’s financial position and results of operations. These estimates and assumptions affect the Trust’s application of accounting policies. Below, the Trust describes the valuation of gold bullion, a critical accounting policy that the Trust believes is important to understanding its results of operations and financial position. In addition, please refer to Note 2 to the financial statements included in this report for further discussion of the Trust’s accounting policies.

Valuation of Gold Bullion

Fair value of the gold bullion is based on the LBMA Gold Price PM. If there is no announced LBMA Gold Price PM on a business day, the Trustee is authorized to use the most recently announced LBMA Gold Price AM.

There are other indicators of the value of gold bullion that are available that could be different than that chosen by the Trust. The LBMA Gold Price AM and LBMA Gold Price PM are used by the Trust because they are commonly used by the U.S. gold market as indicators of the value of gold, and are permitted to be used under the Trust Agreement. The use of indicators of the value of gold bullion other than the LBMA Gold Price AM and LBMA Gold Price PM could result in materially different fair value pricing of the gold held by the Trust.

10

Table of Contents

Results of Operations

The Quarter Ended June 30, 2017

The Trust’s net asset value grew from $7,997,068,858 at March 31, 2017 to $8,399,479,457 at June 30, 2017, a 5.03% increase. The increase in the Trust’s net asset value resulted primarily from an increase in the number of outstanding Shares, which rose from 667,600,000 Shares at March 31, 2017 to 703,100,000 Shares at June 30, 2017, a consequence of 46,800,000 Shares (936 Baskets) being created and 11,300,000 Shares (226 Baskets) being redeemed during the quarter. The increase in the Trust’s net assets was partially offset by a decrease in the price of gold, which fell 0.21% from $1,244.85 at March 31, 2017 to $1,242.25 at June 30, 2017.

The 0.25% decrease in the Trust’s NAV from $11.98 at March 31, 2017 to $11.95 at June 30, 2017 is directly related to the 0.21% decrease in the price of gold.

The Trust’s NAV decreased slightly more than the price of gold on a percentage basis due to the Sponsor’s fees, which were $5,140,279 for the quarter, or 0.06% of the Trust’s average weighted assets of $8,251,437,685 during the quarter. The NAV of $12.44 on June 6, 2017 was the highest during the quarter, compared with a low during the quarter of $11.74 on May 9, 2017.

Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations for the quarter ended June 30, 2017 was $30,357,030, resulting primarily from an unrealized loss on investment in gold bullion of $27,785,695 and a net investment loss of $5,140,279, partially offset by a realized gain of $2,432,470 on gold distributed for the redemption of Shares and a net realized gain of $136,474 from gold bullion sold to pay expenses during the quarter. Other than the Sponsor’s fees of $5,140,279, the Trust had no expenses during the quarter.

The Six Months Ended June 30, 2017

The Trust’s net asset value grew from $7,310,131,020 at December 31, 2016 to $8,399,479,457 at June 30, 2017, a 14.90% increase. The increase in the Trust’s net asset value resulted primarily from an increase in the number of outstanding Shares, which rose from 655,000,000 Shares at December 31, 2016 to 703,100,000 Shares at June 30, 2017, a consequence of 83,750,000 Shares (1,675 Baskets) being created and 35,650,000 Shares (713 Baskets) being redeemed during the period. The Trust’s net asset value also benefited from an increase in the price of gold, which rose 7.17% from $1,159.10 (LBMA Gold Price AM) at December 31, 2016 to $1,242.25 (LBMA Gold Price PM) at June 30, 2017.

The 7.08% increase in the Trust’s NAV from $11.16 at December 31, 2016 to $11.95 at June 30, 2017 is directly related to the 7.17% increase in the price of gold.

The Trust’s NAV increased slightly less than the price of gold on a percentage basis due to the Sponsor’s fees, which were $9,939,452 for the period, or 0.12% of the Trust’s average weighted assets of $8,023,502,975 during the period. The NAV of $12.44 on June 6, 2017 was the highest during the period, compared with a low during the period of $11.08 on January 3, 2017.

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations for the six months ended June 30, 2017 was $513,421,599, resulting primarily from an unrealized gain on investment in gold bullion of $518,773,856, a net realized gain of $4,544,623 on gold distributed for the redemption of Shares and a net realized gain of $42,572 from gold bullion sold to pay expenses during the period, offset by a net investment loss of $9,939,452. Other than the Sponsor’s fees of $9,939,452, the Trust had no expenses during the period.

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

Not applicable.

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

The duly authorized officers of the Sponsor performing functions equivalent to those a principal executive officer and principal financial officer of the Trust would perform if the Trust had any officers, with the participation of the Trustee, have evaluated the effectiveness of the Trust’s disclosure controls and procedures, and have concluded that the disclosure controls and procedures of the Trust were effective as of the end of the period covered by this report to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in the reports that the Trust files or submits under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the applicable rules and forms, and that it is accumulated and communicated to the duly authorized officers of the Sponsor performing functions equivalent to those a principal executive officer and principal financial officer of the Trust would perform if the Trust had any officers, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

There are inherent limitations to the effectiveness of any system of disclosure controls and procedures, including the possibility of human error and the circumvention or overriding of the controls and procedures.

There were no changes in the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this report that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting.

11

Table of Contents

PART II – OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

None.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

There have been no material changes to the Risk Factors last reported under Part I, Item 1A of the registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 24, 2017.

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

a) None.

b) Not applicable.

c) 11,300,000 Shares (226 Baskets) were redeemed during the quarter ended June 30, 2017.

Period	Total Number of Shares Redeemed		Average Ounces of Gold Paid Per Share
04/01/17 to 04/30/17		1,800,000	$	0.0096
05/01/17 to 05/31/17		9,500,000		0.0096
06/01/17 to 06/30/17		—		—
Total		11,300,000	$	0.0096

Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities

None.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

Item 5. Other Information

None.

12

Table of Contents

Item 6. Exhibits

Exhibit No.	Description
4.1	Fourth Amended and Restated Depositary Trust Agreement is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 filed with the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by the Registrant on December 22, 2016
4.2	Standard Terms for Authorized Participant Agreements is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 filed with the Current Report on Form 8‑K filed by the Registrant on December 22, 2016
10.1	Second Amended and Restated Custodian Agreement between The Bank of New York Mellon and JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A., London branch is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 filed with the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by the Registrant on December 22, 2016
10.2	Sub-license Agreement is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 filed with the Amendment No. 1 to Annual Report on Form 10‑K filed by the Registrant on November 12, 2008
31.1	Certification by Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes‑Oxley Act of 2002
31.2	Certification by Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes‑Oxley Act of 2002
32.1	Certification by Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes‑Oxley Act of 2002
32.2	Certification by Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes‑Oxley Act of 2002
101.INS	XBRL Instance Document
101.SCH	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.DEF	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.LAB	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
101.PRE	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document

13

Table of Contents

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned in the capacities* indicated thereunto duly authorized.

iShares Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC,

Sponsor of the iShares Gold Trust (registrant)

/s/ Paul Lohrey

Paul Lohrey

Director, President and Chief Executive Officer

(Principal executive officer)

Date: August 8, 2017

/s/ Jack Gee

Jack Gee

Director and Chief Financial Officer

(Principal financial and accounting officer)

Date: August 8, 2017

* The registrant is a trust and the persons are signing in their respective capacities as officers of iShares Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC, the Sponsor of the registrant.

 14

EX-31.1

Exhibit 31.1

CERTIFICATION

I, Paul Lohrey, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this report on Form 10-Q of iShares Gold Trust;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a‑15(f) and 15d‑15(f)) for the registrant and have:

a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial information; and

b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Date: August 8, 2017

/s/ Paul Lohrey

Paul Lohrey

President and Chief Executive Officer

(Principal executive officer)

EX-31.2

Exhibit 31.2

CERTIFICATION

I, Jack Gee, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this report on Form 10-Q of iShares Gold Trust;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a‑15(f) and 15d‑15(f)) for the registrant and have:

a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial information; and

b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Date: August 8, 2017

/s/ Jack Gee

Jack Gee

Chief Financial Officer

(Principal financial officer)

EX-32.1

Exhibit 32.1

Certification Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

In connection with the Quarterly Report of iShares Gold Trust (the “Trust”) on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2017 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Paul Lohrey, Chief Executive Officer of iShares Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC, the Sponsor of the Trust, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:

1. The Report fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and

2. The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Trust.

It is not intended that this statement be deemed to be filed for purposes of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Date: August 8, 2017

/s/ Paul Lohrey

Paul Lohrey*

President and Chief Executive Officer

(Principal executive officer)

* The registrant is a trust and Mr. Lohrey is signing in his capacity as an officer of iShares Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC, the Sponsor of the registrant.

EX-32.2

Exhibit 32.2

Certification Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

In connection with the Quarterly Report of iShares Gold Trust (the “Trust”) on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2017 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Jack Gee, Chief Financial Officer of iShares Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC, the Sponsor of the Trust, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:

1. The Report fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and

2. The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Trust.

It is not intended that this statement be deemed to be filed for purposes of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Date: August 8, 2017

/s/ Jack Gee

Jack Gee*

Chief Financial Officer

(Principal financial officer)

* The registrant is a trust and Mr. Gee is signing in his capacity as an officer of iShares Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC, the Sponsor of the registrant.

XML

Document And Entity Information	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017 shares
Document Information [Line Items]
Entity Registrant Name	ISHARES GOLD TRUST
Entity Central Index Key	0001278680
Trading Symbol	iau
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	Yes
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding (in shares)	703,100,000
Document Type	10-Q
Document Period End Date	Jun. 30, 2017
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2017
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q2
Amendment Flag	false

XML

Statements of Assets and Liabilities (Unaudited) - USD ($)		Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Assets
Investment in gold bullion, at fair value(a)	[1]	$ 8,401,202,679	$ 7,311,674,849
Total Assets		8,401,202,679	7,311,674,849
Liabilities
Sponsor’s fees payable		1,723,222	1,543,829
Total Liabilities		1,723,222	1,543,829
Commitments and contingent liabilities (Note 6)		0	0
Net Assets		$ 8,399,479,457	$ 7,310,131,020
Shares issued and outstanding(b) (in shares)	[2]	703,100,000	655,000,000
Net asset value per Share (Note 2C) (in dollars per share)		$ 11.95	$ 11.16

[1] Cost of investment in gold bullion: $8,277,677,317 and $7,706,923,343, respectively.

[2] No par value, unlimited amount authorized.

XML

Statements of Assets and Liabilities (Unaudited) (Parentheticals) - USD ($) $ / shares in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Investment in gold bullion, cost	$ 8,277,677,317	$ 7,706,923,343
Shares, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0	$ 0
Shares, issued (in shares)	703,100,000	655,000,000

XML

Statements of Operations (Unaudited) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016
Expenses
Sponsor’s fees	$ 5,140,279	$ 4,892,237	$ 9,939,452	$ 9,074,743
Total expenses	5,140,279	4,892,237	9,939,452	9,074,743
Net investment loss	(5,140,279)	(4,892,237)	(9,939,452)	(9,074,743)
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss)
Gold bullion sold to pay expenses	136,474	146,955	42,572	(10,907)
Gold bullion distributed for the redemption of Shares	2,432,470	2,332,465	4,544,623	9,497,303
Net realized gain	2,568,944	2,479,420	4,587,195	9,486,396
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation	(27,785,695)	512,648,845	518,773,856	1,447,744,760
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)	(25,216,751)	515,128,265	523,361,051	1,457,231,156
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations	$ (30,357,030)	$ 510,236,028	$ 513,421,599	$ 1,448,156,413
Net increase (decrease) in net assets per Share (in dollars per share)	$ (0.04)	$ 0.78	$ 0.76	$ 2.33

XML

Statements of Changes in Net Assets (Unaudited) - USD ($)	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Net Assets, Beginning of Period	$ 7,310,131,020	$ 5,209,802,846
Operations:
Net investment loss	(9,939,452)	(20,312,154)
Net realized gain	4,587,195	25,068,804
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation	518,773,856	303,987,270
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations	513,421,599	308,743,920
Capital Share Transactions:
Contributions for Shares issued	999,543,283	3,784,339,342
Distributions for Shares redeemed	(423,616,445)	(1,992,755,088)
Net increase in net assets from capital share transactions	575,926,838	1,791,584,254
Increase in net assets	1,089,348,437	2,100,328,174
Net Assets, End of Period	$ 8,399,479,457	$ 7,310,131,020
Shares issued and redeemed
Shares issued (in shares)	83,750,000	314,850,000
Shares redeemed (in shares)	(35,650,000)	(167,950,000)
Net increase in Shares issued and outstanding (in shares)	48,100,000	146,900,000

XML

Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
Proceeds from gold bullion sold to pay expenses			$ 9,760,059	$ 8,540,156
Expenses – Sponsor’s fees paid			(9,760,059)	(8,540,156)
Net cash provided by operating activities			0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash			0	0
Cash, beginning of period			0	0	$ 0
Cash, end of period	$ 0	$ 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	(30,357,030)	510,236,028	513,421,599	1,448,156,413	308,743,920
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			9,760,059	8,540,156
Net realized (gain) loss	(2,568,944)	(2,479,420)	(4,587,195)	(9,486,396)	(25,068,804)
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation	$ 27,785,695	$ (512,648,845)	(518,773,856)	(1,447,744,760)	$ (303,987,270)
Change in operating assets and liabilities:
Sponsor’s fees payable			179,393	534,587
Net cash provided by operating activities			0	0
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash information:
Gold bullion contributed for Shares issued			999,543,283	2,652,702,811
Gold bullion distributed for Shares redeemed			$ (423,616,445)	$ (472,601,825)

XML

Schedules of Investments (Unaudited)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2017

Notes to Financial Statements

Investment Holdings, Schedule of Investments [Text Block]

iShares Gold

Trust

Schedules of Investments (Unaudited)

At

June 30, 2017

and

December 31, 2016

June 30, 2017

Description	Ounces		Cost		Fair Value
Gold bullion		6,762,892	$	8,277,677,317	$	8,401,202,679
Total Investment – 100.02%						8,401,202,679
Less Liabilities – (0.02)%						(1,723,222	)
Net Assets – 100.00%					$	8,399,479,457

December 31, 2016

Description	Ounces		Cost		Fair Value
Gold bullion		6,308,062	$	7,706,923,343	$	7,311,674,849
Total Investment – 100.02%						7,311,674,849
Less Liabilities – (0.02)%						(1,543,829	)
Net Assets – 100.00%					$	7,310,131,020

XML

Note 1 - Organization

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2017

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

as a New York trust. The trustee is The Bank of New York Mellon (the “Trustee”), which is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Trust. The Trust’s sponsor is iShares Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”). The Trust is governed by the provisions of the Fourth Amended and Restated Depositary Trust Agreement (the “Trust Agreement”) executed by the Trustee and the Sponsor on

December 22, 2016.

The Trust issues units of beneficial interest (“Shares”) representing fractional undivided beneficial interests in its net assets.

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

-Q and the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). In the opinion of management, all material adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments considered necessary for a fair statement of the interim period financial statements have been made. Interim period results are

not

necessarily indicative of results for a full-year period. These financial statements and the notes thereto should be read in conjunction with the Trust’s financial statements included in its Annual Report on Form

10

-K for the year ended

December 31, 2016,

as filed with the SEC on

February 24, 2017.

The Trust qualifies as an investment company solely for accounting purposes and

not

for any other purpose and follows the accounting and reporting guidance under the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic

946,

Financial Services - Investment Companies

, but is

not

registered and is

not

required to be registered, as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of

1940,

as amended.

XML

Note 2 - Significant Accounting Policies

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2017

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 years 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 is based on the price of gold determined in an auction hosted by ICE Benchmark Administration (“IBA”) in the afternoon (London time), on each day that the London gold market is open for business, and announced by the London Bullion Market Limited Association shortly thereafter (such price, the “LBMA Gold Price PM”). If there is

no

announced LBMA Gold Price PM on a business day, the Trustee is authorized to use the most recently announced price of gold determined in an auction hosted by IBA in the morning (London time) of the day the valuation takes place (such price, the “LBMA Gold Price AM”).

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

months ended

June 30, 2017

and

2016:

Three Months Ended June 30, 2017	Ounces			Average Cost			Fair Value			Realized Gain (Loss)
Beginning balance		6,425,460		$	7,847,423,443		$	7,998,734,500		$	—
Gold bullion contributed		450,189			568,086,499			568,086,499			—
Gold bullion distributed		(108,710	)		(132,886,400	)		(135,318,870	)		2,432,470
Gold bullion sold to pay expenses		(4,047	)		(4,946,225	)		(5,082,699	)		136,474
Net realized gain		—			—			2,568,944			—
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation		—			—			(27,785,695	)		—
Ending balance		6,762,892		$	8,277,677,317		$	8,401,202,679		$	2,568,944

Three Months Ended June 30, 2016	Ounces			Average Cost			Fair Value			Realized Gain (Loss)
Beginning balance		5,990,515		$	7,174,407,233		$	7,410,267,384		$	—
Gold bullion contributed		820,637			1,058,872,811			1,058,872,811			—
Gold bullion distributed		(114,276	)		(137,359,506	)		(139,691,971	)		2,332,465
Gold bullion sold to pay expenses		(3,912	)		(4,697,404	)		(4,844,359	)		146,955
Net realized gain		—			—			2,479,420			—
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation		—			—			512,648,845			—
Ending balance		6,692,964		$	8,091,223,134		$	8,839,732,130		$	2,479,420

The following tables summarize activity in gold bullion for the

six

months ended

June 30, 2017

and

2016:

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017	Ounces			Average Cost			Fair Value			Realized Gain (Loss)
Beginning balance		6,308,062		$	7,706,923,343		$	7,311,674,849		$	—
Gold bullion contributed		805,861			999,543,283			999,543,283			—
Gold bullion distributed		(343,077	)		(419,071,822	)		(423,616,445	)		4,544,623
Gold bullion sold to pay expenses		(7,954	)		(9,717,487	)		(9,760,059	)		42,572
Net realized gain		—			—			4,587,195			—
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation		—			—			518,773,856			—
Ending balance		6,762,892		$	8,277,677,317		$	8,401,202,679		$	4,587,195

Six Months Ended June 30, 2016	Ounces			Average Cost			Fair Value			Realized Gain (Loss)
Beginning balance		4,905,568		$	5,910,175,908		$	5,210,940,144		$	—
Gold bullion contributed		2,180,850			2,652,702,811			2,652,702,811			—
Gold bullion distributed		(386,328	)		(463,104,522	)		(472,601,825	)		9,497,303
Gold bullion sold to pay expenses		(7,126	)		(8,551,063	)		(8,540,156	)		(10,907	)
Net realized gain		—			—			9,486,396			—
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation		—			—			1,447,744,760			—
Ending balance		6,692,964		$	8,091,223,134		$	8,839,732,130		$	9,486,396

C. Calculati on of Net Asset Value

On each business day, as soon as practicable after

4:00

p.m. (New York time), the net asset value of the Trust is obtained by subtracting all accrued fees, expenses and other liabilities of the Trust from the fair value of the gold and other assets held by the Trust. The Trustee computes the net asset value per Share (“NAV”) by dividing the net asset value of the Trust by the number of Shares outstanding on the date the computation is made.

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 Trust 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

redeem their Shares at any time acting through an Authorized Participant and in the prescribed aggregations of

50,000

Shares;

provided

, that redemptions of Shares

may

be suspended during any period while regular trading on NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca”) is suspended or restricted, or in which an emergency exists as a result of which delivery, disposal or evaluation of gold is

not

reasonably practicable.

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. The Trustee calculates the gold amount in respect of any liabilities of the Trust daily using the LBMA Gold Price PM. If there is

no

announced LBMA Gold Price PM on a business day, the Trustee is authorized to use the most recently announced LBMA Gold Price AM.

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

provision for federal income taxes is required. Any interest, expenses, gains and losses are passed through to the holders of Shares of the Trust.

The Sponsor has reviewed the tax positions as of

June 30, 2017

and has determined that

no

provision for income tax is required in the Trust’s financial statements.

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Note 3 - Trust Expenses

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2017

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, 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.

XML

Note 4 - Related Parties

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2017

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

a separate expense of the Trust.

XML

Note 5 - Indemnification

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2017

Notes to Financial Statements

Indemnification [Text Block]

5

- Indemnification

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,

as amended) and subsidiaries shall be indemnified from the Trust and held harmless against any loss, liability, or expense arising out of or in connection with the performance of their obligations under the Trust Agreement or any actions taken in accordance with the provisions of the Trust Agreement and incurred without their (

1

) negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct or (

2

) reckless disregard of their obligations and duties under the Trust Agreement.

The Trust has agreed to indemnify the Custodian for any loss incurred in connection with the custodian agreement, other than losses due to the Custodian’s negligence, fraud or willful default.

XML

Note 6 - Commitments and Contingent Liabilities

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2017

Notes to Financial Statements

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]

6

- Commitments and Contingent Liabilities

In the normal course of business, the Trust

may

enter into contracts with service providers that contain general indemnification clauses. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that

may

be made against the Trust that have

not

yet occurred.

XML

Note 7 - Concentration Risk

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2017

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

have the effect of causing a decline in the price of gold include large sales by the official sector (governments, central banks, and related institutions), an increase in the hedging activities of gold producers, and changes in the attitude of speculators, investors and other market participants towards gold.

XML

Note 8 - Financial Highlights

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2017

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

and

six

months ended

June 

30,

 

2017

and

2016.

	Three Months Ended June 30,						Six Months Ended June 30,
	2017			2016			2017			2016
Net asset value per Share, beginning of period	$	11.98		$	11.93		$	11.16		$	10.25
Net investment loss (a)		(0.01	)		(0.01	)		(0.01	)		(0.01	)
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) (b)		(0.02	)		0.81			0.80			2.49
Net increase (decrease) in net assets from operations		(0.03	)		0.80			0.79			2.48
Net asset value per Share, end of period	$	11.95		$	12.73		$	11.95		$	12.73
Total return, at net asset value (c)(d)		(0.25	) %		6.71	%		7.08	%		24.20	%
Ratio to average net assets:
Net investment loss (e)		(0.25	) %		(0.25	) %		(0.25	) %		(0.25	) %
Expenses (e)		0.25	%		0.25	%		0.25	%		0.25	%

(a) Based on average Shares outstanding during the period.

(b) 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.

(c) Based on the change in net asset value of a Share during the period.

(d) Percentage is not annualized.

(e) Percentage is annualized.

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Note 9 - Investment Valuation

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2017

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

be based on independent market data (“observable inputs”) or they

may

be internally developed (“unobservable inputs”). These inputs are categorized into a disclosure hierarchy consisting of

three

broad levels for financial reporting purposes. The level of a value determined for an asset or liability within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The

three

levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:

Level

1

–  Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;

Level

2

–  Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level

1

that are observable for the asset or liability either directly or indirectly, including quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are

not

considered to be active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability, and inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means; and

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

June 30, 2017

and

December 31, 2016,

the value of the gold bullion held by the Trust is categorized as Level

1.

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Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2017

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 years 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 is based on the price of gold determined in an auction hosted by ICE Benchmark Administration (“IBA”) in the afternoon (London time), on each day that the London gold market is open for business, and announced by the London Bullion Market Limited Association shortly thereafter (such price, the “LBMA Gold Price PM”). If there is

no

announced LBMA Gold Price PM on a business day, the Trustee is authorized to use the most recently announced price of gold determined in an auction hosted by IBA in the morning (London time) of the day the valuation takes place (such price, the “LBMA Gold Price AM”).

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

months ended

June 30, 2017

and

2016:

Three Months Ended June 30, 2017	Ounces			Average Cost			Fair Value			Realized Gain (Loss)
Beginning balance		6,425,460		$	7,847,423,443		$	7,998,734,500		$	—
Gold bullion contributed		450,189			568,086,499			568,086,499			—
Gold bullion distributed		(108,710	)		(132,886,400	)		(135,318,870	)		2,432,470
Gold bullion sold to pay expenses		(4,047	)		(4,946,225	)		(5,082,699	)		136,474
Net realized gain		—			—			2,568,944			—
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation		—			—			(27,785,695	)		—
Ending balance		6,762,892		$	8,277,677,317		$	8,401,202,679		$	2,568,944

Three Months Ended June 30, 2016	Ounces			Average Cost			Fair Value			Realized Gain (Loss)
Beginning balance		5,990,515		$	7,174,407,233		$	7,410,267,384		$	—
Gold bullion contributed		820,637			1,058,872,811			1,058,872,811			—
Gold bullion distributed		(114,276	)		(137,359,506	)		(139,691,971	)		2,332,465
Gold bullion sold to pay expenses		(3,912	)		(4,697,404	)		(4,844,359	)		146,955
Net realized gain		—			—			2,479,420			—
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation		—			—			512,648,845			—
Ending balance		6,692,964		$	8,091,223,134		$	8,839,732,130		$	2,479,420

The following tables summarize activity in gold bullion for the

six

months ended

June 30, 2017

and

2016:

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017	Ounces			Average Cost			Fair Value			Realized Gain (Loss)
Beginning balance		6,308,062		$	7,706,923,343		$	7,311,674,849		$	—
Gold bullion contributed		805,861			999,543,283			999,543,283			—
Gold bullion distributed		(343,077	)		(419,071,822	)		(423,616,445	)		4,544,623
Gold bullion sold to pay expenses		(7,954	)		(9,717,487	)		(9,760,059	)		42,572
Net realized gain		—			—			4,587,195			—
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation		—			—			518,773,856			—
Ending balance		6,762,892		$	8,277,677,317		$	8,401,202,679		$	4,587,195

Six Months Ended June 30, 2016	Ounces			Average Cost			Fair Value			Realized Gain (Loss)
Beginning balance		4,905,568		$	5,910,175,908		$	5,210,940,144		$	—
Gold bullion contributed		2,180,850			2,652,702,811			2,652,702,811			—
Gold bullion distributed		(386,328	)		(463,104,522	)		(472,601,825	)		9,497,303
Gold bullion sold to pay expenses		(7,126	)		(8,551,063	)		(8,540,156	)		(10,907	)
Net realized gain		—			—			9,486,396			—
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation		—			—			1,447,744,760			—
Ending balance		6,692,964		$	8,091,223,134		$	8,839,732,130		$	9,486,396

Calculation of Net Asset Value [Policy Text Block]

C. Calculati on of Net Asset Value

On each business day, as soon as practicable after

4:00

p.m. (New York time), the net asset value of the Trust is obtained by subtracting all accrued fees, expenses and other liabilities of the Trust from the fair value of the gold and other assets held by the Trust. The Trustee computes the net asset value per Share (“NAV”) by dividing the net asset value of the Trust by the number of Shares outstanding on the date the computation is made.

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 Trust 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

redeem their Shares at any time acting through an Authorized Participant and in the prescribed aggregations of

50,000

Shares;

provided

, that redemptions of Shares

may

be suspended during any period while regular trading on NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca”) is suspended or restricted, or in which an emergency exists as a result of which delivery, disposal or evaluation of gold is

not

reasonably practicable.

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. The Trustee calculates the gold amount in respect of any liabilities of the Trust daily using the LBMA Gold Price PM. If there is

no

announced LBMA Gold Price PM on a business day, the Trustee is authorized to use the most recently announced LBMA Gold Price AM.

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

provision for federal income taxes is required. Any interest, expenses, gains and losses are passed through to the holders of Shares of the Trust.

The Sponsor has reviewed the tax positions as of

June 30, 2017

and has determined that

no

provision for income tax is required in the Trust’s financial statements.

XML

Schedules of Investments (Unaudited) (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2017

Notes Tables

Investment [Table Text Block]

Description	Ounces		Cost		Fair Value
Gold bullion		6,762,892	$	8,277,677,317	$	8,401,202,679
Total Investment – 100.02%						8,401,202,679
Less Liabilities – (0.02)%						(1,723,222	)
Net Assets – 100.00%					$	8,399,479,457

Description	Ounces		Cost		Fair Value
Gold bullion		6,308,062	$	7,706,923,343	$	7,311,674,849
Total Investment – 100.02%						7,311,674,849
Less Liabilities – (0.02)%						(1,543,829	)
Net Assets – 100.00%					$	7,310,131,020

XML

Note 2 - Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2017

Notes Tables

Activity in Gold Bullion [Table Text Block]

Three Months Ended June 30, 2017	Ounces			Average Cost			Fair Value			Realized Gain (Loss)
Beginning balance		6,425,460		$	7,847,423,443		$	7,998,734,500		$	—
Gold bullion contributed		450,189			568,086,499			568,086,499			—
Gold bullion distributed		(108,710	)		(132,886,400	)		(135,318,870	)		2,432,470
Gold bullion sold to pay expenses		(4,047	)		(4,946,225	)		(5,082,699	)		136,474
Net realized gain		—			—			2,568,944			—
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation		—			—			(27,785,695	)		—
Ending balance		6,762,892		$	8,277,677,317		$	8,401,202,679		$	2,568,944

Three Months Ended June 30, 2016	Ounces			Average Cost			Fair Value			Realized Gain (Loss)
Beginning balance		5,990,515		$	7,174,407,233		$	7,410,267,384		$	—
Gold bullion contributed		820,637			1,058,872,811			1,058,872,811			—
Gold bullion distributed		(114,276	)		(137,359,506	)		(139,691,971	)		2,332,465
Gold bullion sold to pay expenses		(3,912	)		(4,697,404	)		(4,844,359	)		146,955
Net realized gain		—			—			2,479,420			—
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation		—			—			512,648,845			—
Ending balance		6,692,964		$	8,091,223,134		$	8,839,732,130		$	2,479,420

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017	Ounces			Average Cost			Fair Value			Realized Gain (Loss)
Beginning balance		6,308,062		$	7,706,923,343		$	7,311,674,849		$	—
Gold bullion contributed		805,861			999,543,283			999,543,283			—
Gold bullion distributed		(343,077	)		(419,071,822	)		(423,616,445	)		4,544,623
Gold bullion sold to pay expenses		(7,954	)		(9,717,487	)		(9,760,059	)		42,572
Net realized gain		—			—			4,587,195			—
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation		—			—			518,773,856			—
Ending balance		6,762,892		$	8,277,677,317		$	8,401,202,679		$	4,587,195

Six Months Ended June 30, 2016	Ounces			Average Cost			Fair Value			Realized Gain (Loss)
Beginning balance		4,905,568		$	5,910,175,908		$	5,210,940,144		$	—
Gold bullion contributed		2,180,850			2,652,702,811			2,652,702,811			—
Gold bullion distributed		(386,328	)		(463,104,522	)		(472,601,825	)		9,497,303
Gold bullion sold to pay expenses		(7,126	)		(8,551,063	)		(8,540,156	)		(10,907	)
Net realized gain		—			—			9,486,396			—
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation		—			—			1,447,744,760			—
Ending balance		6,692,964		$	8,091,223,134		$	8,839,732,130		$	9,486,396

XML

Note 8 - Financial Highlights (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2017

Notes Tables

Financial Highlights [Table Text Block]

	Three Months Ended June 30,						Six Months Ended June 30,
	2017			2016			2017			2016
Net asset value per Share, beginning of period	$	11.98		$	11.93		$	11.16		$	10.25
Net investment loss (a)		(0.01	)		(0.01	)		(0.01	)		(0.01	)
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) (b)		(0.02	)		0.81			0.80			2.49
Net increase (decrease) in net assets from operations		(0.03	)		0.80			0.79			2.48
Net asset value per Share, end of period	$	11.95		$	12.73		$	11.95		$	12.73
Total return, at net asset value (c)(d)		(0.25	) %		6.71	%		7.08	%		24.20	%
Ratio to average net assets:
Net investment loss (e)		(0.25	) %		(0.25	) %		(0.25	) %		(0.25	) %
Expenses (e)		0.25	%		0.25	%		0.25	%		0.25	%

XML

Schedules of Investments (Unaudited) - Investments (Details)	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($) oz	Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($) oz	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) oz	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) oz	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($) oz	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) oz
Gold bullion (Ounce) | oz	6,762,892	6,425,460	6,308,062	6,692,964	5,990,515	4,905,568
Investment in gold bullion, cost	$ 8,277,677,317	$ 7,847,423,443	$ 7,706,923,343	$ 8,091,223,134	$ 7,174,407,233	$ 5,910,175,908
Gold bullion fair value	8,401,202,679		7,311,674,849
Less Liabilities	(1,723,222)		(1,543,829)
Net Assets	$ 8,399,479,457		$ 7,310,131,020			$ 5,209,802,846

XML

Schedules of Investments (Unaudited) - Investments (Details) (Parentheticals)	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
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%

XML

Note 2 - Significant Accounting Policies (Details Textual)	Jun. 30, 2017 shares
Shares Prescribed Aggregation	50,000

XML

Note 2 - Significant Accounting Policies - Activity in Gold Bullion (Details)	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($) oz		Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) oz	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($) oz		Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) oz	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) oz
Beginning balance (Ounce) | oz	6,425,460		5,990,515	6,308,062		4,905,568	4,905,568
Gold bullion contributed (Ounce) | oz	450,189		820,637	805,861		2,180,850
Gold bullion distributed (Ounce) | oz	(108,710)		(114,276)	(343,077)		(386,328)
Gold bullion sold to pay expenses (Ounce) | oz	(4,047)		(3,912)	(7,954)		(7,126)
Ending balance (Ounce) | oz	6,762,892		6,692,964	6,762,892		6,692,964	6,308,062
Beginning balance, average cost	$ 7,847,423,443		$ 7,174,407,233	$ 7,706,923,343		$ 5,910,175,908	$ 5,910,175,908
Gold bullion contributed, average cost	568,086,499		1,058,872,811	999,543,283		2,652,702,811
Gold bullion distributed, average cost	(132,886,400)		(137,359,506)	(419,071,822)		(463,104,522)
Gold bullion sold to pay expenses, average cost	(4,946,225)		(4,697,404)	(9,717,487)		(8,551,063)
Ending balance, average cost	8,277,677,317		8,091,223,134	8,277,677,317		8,091,223,134	7,706,923,343
Beginning balance, fair value	7,998,734,500		7,410,267,384	7,311,674,849	[1]	5,210,940,144	5,210,940,144
Gold bullion contributed, fair value	568,086,499		1,058,872,811	999,543,283		2,652,702,811
Gold bullion distributed, fair value	(135,318,870)		(139,691,971)	(423,616,445)		(472,601,825)
Gold bullion sold to pay expenses, fair value	(5,082,699)		(4,844,359)	(9,760,059)		(8,540,156)
Net realized gain (loss), fair value	2,568,944		2,479,420	4,587,195		9,486,396	25,068,804
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation, fair value	(27,785,695)		512,648,845	518,773,856		1,447,744,760	303,987,270
Ending balance, fair value	8,401,202,679	[1]	8,839,732,130	8,401,202,679	[1]	8,839,732,130	7,311,674,849	[1]
Gold bullion distributed, realized gain (loss)	2,432,470		2,332,465	4,544,623		9,497,303
Gold bullion sold to pay expenses, realized gain (loss)	136,474		146,955	42,572		(10,907)
Ending balance, realized gain (loss)	$ 2,568,944		$ 2,479,420	$ 4,587,195		$ 9,486,396	$ 25,068,804

[1] Cost of investment in gold bullion: $8,277,677,317 and $7,706,923,343, respectively.

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Note 3 - Trust Expenses (Details Textual)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($)
Sponsors Fee Annualized Accrual Rate Based on Daily Net Asset Value	0.25%
Maximum [Member]
Legal Fees Per Year	$ 100,000

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Note 8 - Financial Highlights - Financial Highlights (Details) - $ / shares		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
		Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016
Net asset value per Share, beginning of period (in dollars per share)		$ 11.98	$ 11.93	$ 11.16	$ 10.25
Net investment loss(a) (in dollars per share)	[1]	(0.01)	(0.01)	(0.01)	(0.01)
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b) (in dollars per share)	[2]	(0.02)	0.81	0.80	2.49
Net increase (decrease) in net assets from operations (in dollars per share)		(0.03)	0.80	0.79	2.48
Net asset value per Share, end of period (in dollars per share)		$ 11.95	$ 12.73	$ 11.95	$ 12.73
Total return, at net asset value(c)(d)	[3],[4]	(0.25%)	6.71%	7.08%	24.20%
Ratio to average net assets:
Net investment loss(e)	[5]	(0.25%)	(0.25%)	(0.25%)	(0.25%)
Expenses(e)	[5]	0.25%	0.25%	0.25%	0.25%

[1] Based on average Shares outstanding during the period.

[2] 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.

[3] Based on the change in net asset value of a Share during the period.

[4] Percentage is not annualized.

[5] Percentage is annualized.