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Gold Britannia Coins
Number of products: 13The Britannia has been struck since 1987, but the coin sold today is not the coin sold then. Until 2012 it was 22 carat, 916.7 fine, weighing 34.05 g for its ounce of gold. From 2013 the Royal Mint moved it to 999.9, and the coin now weighs almost exactly the ounce it contains.
Anyone buying older Britannias should read the year before the weight. Both versions hold one troy ounce; only the alloy and the gross weight differ.
Specification
Face values are struck on the coins themselves: £100 for the ounce, £50, £25 and £10 for the fractions. Those are legal tender denominations, not market values.
| Fraction | Fine gold | Fineness | Diameter | Face value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 oz (2013 onwards) | 1 troy oz (31.10 g) | 999.9 | 32.69 mm | £100 |
| 1 oz (1987–2012) | 1 troy oz, gross 34.05 g | 916.7 | 32.69 mm | £100 |
| 1/2 oz | 0.5 troy oz | 999.9 | 27.00 mm | £50 |
| 1/4 oz | 0.25 troy oz | 999.9 | 22.00 mm | £25 |
| 1/10 oz | 0.10 troy oz | 999.9 | 16.50 mm | £10 |
The Royal Mint publishes diameters but not thickness, and states fine gold content rather than gross weight — at 999.9 the two are within a rounding of each other.
Capital gains tax in the UK
HMRC's Capital Gains Manual at CG78305 names Britannia gold coins alongside post-1837 Sovereign coins as sterling currency, exempt under section 21(1)(b) of TCGA 1992. That covers both the 22 carat and the 999.9 versions, since the exemption follows legal tender status rather than fineness.
The Royal Mint states the same rule in reverse: coins it does not produce are not UK legal tender, and therefore stay inside the charge. This is the published position of HMRC and the issuer, stated as law and not as tax advice, and it applies to UK taxpayers.
Design and security features
The reverse figure of Britannia is Philip Nathan's design, carried on the 2026 bullion coins. The obverse uses the Charles III effigy by Martin Jennings. From the 2021 issue the Royal Mint added four security features to the field: micro-text, a latent image that switches between a trident and a padlock, tincture lines, and a surface animation.
Those features are visible without equipment and are the fastest way to check a recent Britannia by eye.
Britannia or Sovereign
Both carry the UK capital gains exemption. The Sovereign holds 7.32 g of gold at 22 carat; the Britannia holds a full ounce at 999.9. Premium per gram is normally lower on the larger coin. Live prices for both track the market on the gold price page.
Questions buyers ask
Is the Britannia 22 carat or 24 carat?
Both exist. Coins dated 1987 to 2012 are 22 carat at 916.7 fineness and weigh 34.05 g gross; coins from 2013 onwards are 999.9. Either way the coin holds one troy ounce of gold.
Is a gold Britannia free of capital gains tax?
For UK taxpayers, yes. HMRC's Capital Gains Manual at CG78305 lists Britannia gold coins as currency, exempt under TCGA 1992 section 21(1)(b). The exemption follows legal tender status, so it covers both fineness versions.
What is the face value for?
It makes the coin UK legal tender, which is what puts it inside the capital gains exemption. The £100 stamped on a one-ounce Britannia has no bearing on what the coin is worth.
How do I check a recent Britannia?
Issues from 2021 onwards carry four visible security features: micro-text, a latent image that shifts between a trident and a padlock, tincture lines, and a surface animation. All are visible without equipment.
How big is a 1 oz Britannia?
32.69 mm across. The Royal Mint does not publish a thickness figure for the coin.
Do you buy Britannias back?
Yes, quoted against the current gold price. Pre-2013 coins hold the same ounce of gold as current ones despite the different fineness, and are quoted on that basis. See the buyback page.
Other gold coin series
Sovereign · Krugerrand · Maple Leaf · American Eagle · Vienna Philharmonic · Australian Kangaroo · Chinese Panda · 1 oz gold coins · historic coins
All series are listed together on the gold coins page. For the same metal without a face value, see gold bars.
