Abstract: A molten metal holding apparatus for the continuous hot dip coating of a metal strip includes a vessel that is substantially rectangular in cross section having long sides and short sides and has formed a slot-shaped opening in a bottom surface, the vessel containing molten metal; subsidiary vessels formed following an outer circumference of an upper end of the vessal and for temporarily storing molten metal that overflows from the upper end of the vessel; chambers formed outwardly following long sides a lower end of the vessel and that communicate with the vessel via slit-shaped branch openings formed at a predetermined slant toward the vessel: a plurality of subsidiary tubes comunicating with the subsidiary vessels; and alternating current electromagnets including a core mounted adjacent to outside side surfaces of the vessel and between the subsidiary vessels and the chambers and a coil wound around the core and to wich an alternating current is supplied.