1 oz Gold Coins
Number of products: 68Almost every coin in this category holds the same 31.10 g of gold — the exception is the pre-2016 Panda, which is 999 fine and holds 31.07 g. What differs is everything around it: fineness runs from 916.7 to 999.9, gross weight from 31.10 g to 34.05 g, and diameter from 30.00 mm on a Maple Leaf to 37.00 mm on a Philharmonic.
The table below sets eight one-ounce specifications side by side, from the 33.93 g Krugerrand to the 30.00 mm Maple Leaf. On a one-ounce coin the gold is not the variable — the alloy, the size, the tax treatment and the premium are.
The same ounce, eight ways
Figures below are from the issuing mints. Where a mint publishes fine gold content but not gross weight, the gross column says so.
| Coin | Mint | Gross weight | Fineness | Diameter | Face value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Krugerrand | South African Mint | 33.93 g | 916.7 | 32.77 mm | none |
| American Eagle | United States Mint | 33.931 g | 916.7 | 32.7 mm | 50 USD |
| Britannia (2013 on) | The Royal Mint | approx. 31.10 g | 999.9 | 32.69 mm | £100 |
| Britannia (to 2012) | The Royal Mint | 34.05 g | 916.7 | 32.69 mm | £100 |
| Maple Leaf | Royal Canadian Mint | 31.11 g | 999.9 | 30.00 mm | 50 CAD |
| Vienna Philharmonic | Münze Österreich | 31.10 g | 999.9 | 37.00 mm | 100 EUR |
| Australian Kangaroo | The Perth Mint | min. 31.107 g | 999.9 | 32.60 mm max. | 100 AUD |
| Chinese Panda (to 2015) | China Gold Coin Corp. | 31.10 g | 999 | 32.05 mm | 500 CNY |
Gross weight is not gold content
The 22 carat coins on this page weigh more than the ounce they hold: the Krugerrand 33.93 g, the American Eagle 33.931 g and the pre-2013 Britannia 34.05 g. The extra 2.83 g on the Krugerrand and the Eagle is copper, or a copper and silver mix. Weighing one of these against a one-ounce reference and concluding it is overweight is a common mistake.
The 999.9 coins weigh what they hold, within a rounding. They are also softer and mark more readily.
Which ounce coins carry the UK tax exemption
Only the Royal Mint ones. HMRC's Capital Gains Manual at CG78305 treats Britannia coins and post-1837 Sovereigns as sterling currency and therefore exempt under TCGA 1992 section 21(1)(b); the same entry names the Krugerrand as chargeable. A Maple Leaf, Eagle, Philharmonic, Kangaroo or Panda is a foreign coin and falls outside the exemption for UK taxpayers. This is the position HMRC publishes, stated as law and not as tax advice.
Note the Sovereign is not a one-ounce coin — it holds 7.32 g — so within this page the exemption applies to the Britannia alone.
What separates them
On metal content there is nothing between them. What varies is the tax position for a UK buyer, whether the design is fixed or changes annually — a Panda trades on its year, a Krugerrand does not — and the premium on the day.
A coin premium also covers striking, packaging and legal tender status, none of which a bar carries, so the premium per gram on a one-ounce bar is normally lower than on any coin here. Live gold prices on the gold price page.
Questions buyers ask
How much does a 1 oz gold coin weigh?
Between 31.10 g and 34.05 g, depending on fineness. All of them hold the same one troy ounce — 31.10 g — of gold; the 22 carat coins carry additional copper.
Which 1 oz gold coin is the cheapest?
It varies day to day with each mint's premium. Structurally, coins whose design is fixed, such as the Krugerrand, tend to price closer to metal value than coins redesigned annually, such as the Panda and the Kangaroo.
Which 1 oz coins are exempt from UK capital gains tax?
Only Royal Mint issues. On this page that means the Britannia, under HMRC Capital Gains Manual CG78305 and TCGA 1992 section 21(1)(b). Every foreign coin here is a chargeable asset for UK taxpayers.
Which 1 oz gold coin has the smallest diameter?
By diameter, the Maple Leaf at 30.00 mm; the widest is the Vienna Philharmonic at 37.00 mm. Both hold the same ounce of gold — the Philharmonic is simply thinner.
What is the difference in premium between a coin and a bar?
A coin's price also covers striking, packaging and legal tender status, so the premium per gram is normally higher than on a bar of the same weight. What a coin adds is easy recognition and, on Royal Mint issues, the UK capital gains exemption.
Do you buy one-ounce coins back?
Yes, all eight series listed here, quoted against the current gold price for one troy ounce regardless of the coin's gross weight. See the buyback page.
Other gold coin series
Sovereign · Krugerrand · Britannia · Maple Leaf · American Eagle · Vienna Philharmonic · Australian Kangaroo · Chinese Panda · historic coins
All series are listed together on the gold coins page. For the same metal without a face value, see gold bars.