A gold Britannia is one of the simplest coins to value: its price is anchored to the pure gold it contains and moves with the market by the day. We weigh it, confirm the year and fineness, and quote against the live gold price.
Whether it is a 22-carat coin from the 1987–2012 run or a 24-carat 999.9 issue from 2013, the gold content is what most of the figure rests on — with any proof or low-mintage premium assessed on top. UK legal tender. Free insured postage. Paid in 72 hours.
The gold Britannia has been the Royal Mint's flagship gold bullion coin since 1987, and it is one of the most straightforward pieces of gold to sell. Unlike an antique with a value that turns on maker, condition and demand, a Britannia's worth is anchored to a known quantity of pure gold. A one-ounce coin contains a full troy ounce — 31.10 grams — of pure gold, and that gold is worth whatever the market says on the day you sell. Everything else is a modest adjustment around that anchor.
Two things then refine the figure: the size of the coin (one-ounce down to tenth-ounce), and whether it is an ordinary bullion strike or a low-mintage proof that may carry a collector premium above metal. We identify which you have, weigh it, and value it against the live gold price. And because a Britannia is UK legal tender, HMRC currently treats qualifying gold Britannias as sterling currency for Capital Gains Tax purposes; tax treatment depends on your circumstances, so seek professional advice if this matters to your sale.
The Royal Mint strikes gold Britannias in a family of sizes, each with a face value that is purely nominal — the coins are worth far more for their gold. The pure gold content is the number that matters when you sell:
| Coin | Pure gold | Face value | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| One ounce | 1 troy oz (31.10 g) | £100 | 32.69 mm |
| Half ounce | ½ troy oz | £50 | 27.00 mm |
| Quarter ounce | ¼ troy oz | £25 | 22.00 mm |
| Tenth ounce | 1/10 troy oz | £10 | 16.50 mm |
| Twentieth ounce | 1/20 troy oz | £5 | — |
The twentieth-ounce coin was introduced with the fractional range in 2013. Larger commemorative sizes (five-ounce and kilo pieces) also exist for some years. Whatever the size, we value each coin on the pure gold it contains — the fractional coins simply hold a proportion of an ounce.
There are two eras of gold Britannia, and knowing which you hold helps you understand the coin, though both are valued on the same pure-gold basis. The change came in 2013.
The original standard. A one-ounce coin still contains a full ounce of pure gold, but has a higher total weight (about 34.05 g) because of the alloy. The earliest coins were alloyed with copper; from 1990 the Mint used silver, giving these coins a paler, cooler tone.
From 2013 the Britannia became 24-carat, 999.9 fine gold — among the purest bullion coins made. A one-ounce coin weighs a straight troy ounce with virtually no alloy. This brought the Britannia into line with the world's leading pure-gold bullion coins.
The key point for selling: a one-ounce coin from either era contains the same one ounce of pure gold, so both are valued on that ounce at the live price. The carat changes the alloy, the total weight and the colour — not the amount of gold you are selling.
Most gold Britannias in circulation are bullion coins: struck to a fine but standard finish and bought and sold at a small margin over their gold value. If you have bullion Britannias, the figure is essentially the live gold content for the total ounces you hold, and a small scuff or fingerprint does not change that.
Proof Britannias are different. Struck to a mirror finish with frosted relief, issued in limited numbers and sold by the Royal Mint in a presentation case with a certificate, a proof coin can be worth more than its gold — but only where the mintage is genuinely low and the coin is still pristine in its capsule with its paperwork. A proof that has been handled, removed from its capsule or separated from its certificate usually falls back towards gold value.
The single most common way to lose money on a proof Britannia is to open the capsule and handle or polish the coin. The mirror surface marks instantly and the premium evaporates. Gold does not tarnish, so there is never anything to clean. Send proofs sealed in their capsules, with the case and certificate, and we assess them exactly as issued.
Our process is built around the live market so the figure is honest to the day:
Gold Britannias sit alongside the gold Sovereign as two classic UK legal-tender British gold coins. If your Britannias are part of a wider holding, our coin valuation guide explains the whole process, and if you also have Sovereigns see our gold Sovereign valuation page. For a mixed box of gold jewellery and coins, sell gold jewellery sets out how gold is weighed and priced.
It is worth being clear about a common mix-up. The Royal Mint also strikes a silver Britannia — a one-ounce fine-silver bullion coin. It shares the design and the name but is a completely different proposition: valued on its silver content, worth a small fraction of the gold coin, and not treated the same way on tax. If your coins are silver rather than gold, they belong on our sell silver coins page, where we cover silver Britannias, pre-1947 and pre-1920 silver coinage and silver bullion in full. If you are unsure which you have, email a photo and we will tell you at no cost.
Tell us roughly what you have — "three 1oz gold Britannias" or "a proof set" is plenty. We email a free prepaid, tracked and insured label the same working day.
Leave proofs in their capsules and cases; keep bullion coins in their tubes or wrap each in tissue. Your parcel is insured to £5,000 from the moment the courier scans it.
We email a unique parcel code and your opening time. Your parcel is opened on camera and photographed before a specialist identifies and weighs each coin.
Each coin priced to the live gold market, any proof premium set out. Accept what you want to sell — return the rest free. Payment within 72 hours, or we add 3%.
If your question isn't here, call us on 01234 815116 or email support@fairvintage.co.uk. We respond within one working day.
Get your free label →A one-ounce gold Britannia contains a full troy ounce of pure gold — 31.10 grams — whether it is a 22-carat coin from 1987–2012 or a 24-carat 999.9 fine coin from 2013 onward. Its value is anchored to the live gold price for that ounce of pure metal, so it moves with the market daily. Standard bullion coins trade at a small margin over that gold value; low-mintage proof Britannias in their original Royal Mint packaging can carry a collector premium above it. We weigh and identify your coin and quote against the live price on the day.
Gold Britannias are UK legal tender struck by the Royal Mint. HMRC currently treats qualifying UK legal-tender Sovereigns and Britannia gold coins as sterling currency for Capital Gains Tax purposes, the same treatment as the gold Sovereign. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances, so seek professional advice if this matters to your sale. Fair Vintage does not provide tax advice.
Britannias struck between 1987 and 2012 are 22 carat (916.7 fine): a one-ounce coin holds a full ounce of pure gold but has a slightly higher total weight because of the alloy — copper on the earliest issues, then silver from 1990, which gives those coins a warmer tone. From 2013 the Royal Mint moved to 24 carat, 999.9 fine gold. Both contain the same weight of pure gold for a given ounce size, so both are valued on the same gold content; the carat affects the alloy and appearance, not the amount of gold you are selling.
Yes. Proof Britannias — single coins or multi-coin sets containing the one-ounce, half, quarter and tenth-ounce pieces — are bought both for their gold content and, where the mintage is low and the original Royal Mint case and certificate are present, for a collector premium above metal. Please leave proof coins sealed in their capsules; handling a proof surface introduces marks that reduce the grade. Send the case and certificate of authenticity with the coins, as completeness supports the premium.
No — never clean or polish a gold coin. Gold does not tarnish, and any cleaning risks fine hairline scratches that lower the grade of a bullion coin and can ruin the mirror finish of a proof. Handle coins by the edge, leave proofs in their capsules, and send them exactly as they are. A minor scuff on a bullion coin does not affect its gold value, which is what most of the figure rests on.
Request your free label today. Each coin identified, weighed and priced to the live gold market, any proof premium set out. Written valuation. UK legal tender. Paid within 72 hours — or we add 3%.
Also see: Coin valuation · Gold Sovereign valuation · Sell silver coins