November 8, 2022

The History of the Britannia Gold Coin

What is the Britannia Gold Coin and what's its importance to gold investors?

Written by

Dominic

The Britannia gold coin is one of the most popular choices for gold investors in the world. Like many nations across the world, the UK Royal Mint has issued its own one ounce gold coin for investors and collectors alike. This coin takes the form of the Britannia. But why is this coin so popular for gold investors?

The most standout feature of the Britannia gold coin is the depiction of the Roman goddess Britannia. She is an ancient figure that dates back to the reign of Emperor Hadrian in the first century AD, appearing on Roman imperial coins to symbolise the conquest of Britain by the empire. While over the centuries falling out of favour as a symbol of the isles, the goddess experienced a resurgence during the 1700s as the national symbol of the United Kingdom. Her spear was replaced with a trident, symbolising the UK’s naval power. Even into the modern day Britannia has remained emblematic of the UK with her image adorning statues, facades and coins. 

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Thus it came as no surprise that in 1987, when the Royal Mint wished to issue a new set of bullion coins, that Britannia was selected as the face of these coins. The face value of the coins are £100, but due to their investment status can trade for more. Similar to the Sovereign, the Britannia is struck from 22 carat gold. The obverse face of the coin contains the side profile of Queen Elizabeth II, although in 2023 King Charles III will be present instead. 

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Britannia 2021

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It is important to note that the value of a Britannia does not stem from it being a rare or antiquated coin, due to it being only a few decades old. Instead much of the value comes from the gold content itself, thus making it intrinsic rather than numismatic. This means that Britannia’s are far more beholden to the fluctuations in the price of gold. However, they are seen as one of the most reliable coins, due to their Royal Mint status. Much like other gold coins, Britannia’s are exempt from capital gains tax. 

Ultimately Britannia Gold Coins represent an excellent way to begin investing in gold coins, before branching out into the rarer numismatic coins such as Sovereigns. If you are interested in finding out more, get in touch with us.

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