1/2 oz Britannia Charles III Gold Coin | 2025

1/2 oz Britannia 2025 — Charles III obverse

The 2025 half ounce Britannia: 999.9 fine, 27.00 mm across, face value 50 pounds. The obverse is the official coinage portrait of King Charles III by Martin Jennings, used on UK coinage since 2022.

The reverse is Philip Nathan’s standing Britannia with trident and shield, the design carried by the series since 1987.

Specifications

The Royal Mint does not publish a thickness for this coin, so none is quoted here.

Four security features

Since the 2021 issue the Royal Mint has built four anti-counterfeiting features into the Britannia: micro-text reading DECUS ET TUTAMEN, a latent image that shifts between a padlock and a trident as the coin is tilted, tincture lines on the shield’s Union flag, and a surface animation that makes the background move like water.

Why the face value matters more than it looks

Fifty pounds is far below what the coin is worth as metal, and no one spends it. The denomination exists for a legal reason: it makes the coin sterling legal tender, and the UK capital gains tax exemption follows sterling legal tender. That single line on the reverse is the difference between the Britannia and a Krugerrand, a Maple Leaf or a Philharmonic of the same weight.

VAT and UK capital gains tax

HMRC treats a coin minted after 1800 as investment gold if it is at least 900 thousandths fine, is or has been legal tender in its country of origin, and normally sells at no more than 180 per cent of the open market value of its gold (VAT Notice 701/21A). The Britannia is 999.9 fine, UK legal tender and sold on the gold price, so it meets all three tests.

It is also a United Kingdom coin with a face value in pounds, so it is sterling legal tender. The UK exemption from capital gains tax follows sterling legal tender, which is why Britannias and Sovereigns sit outside that tax while a Krugerrand, Maple Leaf or Philharmonic does not. This is a statement of the published rule, not tax advice — your own position depends on your circumstances.

Questions buyers ask

What is on the obverse of the 2025 coin? The coinage portrait of King Charles III by Martin Jennings.

Is it exempt from capital gains tax? For UK residents, yes, because it is sterling legal tender. Residents elsewhere are taxed under their own rules.

How does it compare with the one ounce coin? Same gold, same fineness, higher premium per gram, easier to sell in parts.

Does it come in a capsule? Yes. Every coin is dispatched in a protective capsule.

Authenticity checked at GoldInvest24 before dispatch. Other sizes are on the Britannia gold coins page. Live quotes on the precious metals prices page.