Gold and silver Britannia coins through the years

Britannia investment coins combine elegance and security within Philip Nathan's iconic design. The security features that The Royal Mint has added to its Britannia coins make these coins the world's most secure bullion coin. 

The Britannia coins

Britannia coins are minted by British mint The Royal Mint. The gold coins have been issued since 1987, the silver coins since 1997 and the platinum variant since 2018.

The gold variant Britannia coins produced today each contain one troy ounce, or 31.103 grams, of 99.99% pure gold. The coins have a face value of 100 pounds. Besides the 1 troy ounce variant, the mint also produces other formats such as the ½ troy ounce gold Britannia, the ¼ troy ounce gold Britannia and the 1/10 troy ounce gold Britannia.

Gold Britannia coins (1987 - 2012)

From 1987 to 2012, Britannia gold coins were struck in 22-carat gold (91.7%). The coins then had a weight of 34.05 grams struck in 91.7% pure gold and each contained a total of 1 troy ounce (31.103 grams) of pure gold.

Gold Britannia coins (2013 - present)

From 2013, Britannia gold coins have been minted in 24-carat (99.99%) pure gold.

Gold Britannias are minted each year in an unlimited edition. 

Silver Britannia coins (1997 - 2012)

From 1997 to 2012, silver Britannia coins had a fineness of 958 (95.8%). These coins weigh 32.45 grams and contain exactly one troy ounce, or 31.1 grams, of pure silver. These coins have a diameter of 40 millimetres.

From 1998 and in all subsequent even-numbered years, the obverse has the design of a standing Britannia figure. From 1999 and in all subsequent odd-numbered years, a series of alternative, non-repeating images of Britannia replaced the standing figure on the obverse. Since 2013, proof versions of the coin have featured a different design each year, while the investment version of the coin will always feature a standing Britannia.

Some 2014 silver Britannia coins were struck with the wrong design because there was a confusion during the production process with The Royal Mint's ‘Lunar Year of the Horse’ coins as both coins had the same fineness and specification and similar but not identical reverse. There are expected to be around 17,000 coins with this mix-up, dubbed the ‘Mule Britannia’. These coins have a high collector's value. 

Silver Britannia coins (2013 - present)

From the year 2013, the silver Britannia coins are minted in 99.9% pure silver and each contain exactly 1 troy ounce (31.103 grams) of pure silver.

The design of the Britannia coins

The obverse of Britannia coins show various images of Britannia, a female personification of the United Kingdom. The reverse shows the effigy of a monarch. The year 2023 was the first year King Charles III was depicted on the reverse, all previous years featured Queen Elizabeth II. 

Safety features

Today, Philip Nathan's iconic Britannia design has been enhanced with four visual safety features through the application of the latest techniques and tools. The four visual safety features are: 

• Latent image: an innovative design where the trident will turn into a padlock when the viewer adjusts their perspective on the coin;

• Surface animation: the coin's surface animation makes the figure of Britannia look like she is standing in water, with waves behind her. These are created using advanced picosecond lasers and come to life when rotated;

• Micro text: using specialised lasers that give depth while providing protection for future generations, the inscription ´DECUS ET TUTAMEN’ was added, which translates to “an ornament and a protection”;

• Tincture lines: the Royal mint has introduced tincture lines to demonstrate the traditional art of minting coins, showing patterns on the metal

Conclusion

The gold and silver Britannia coins are one of the world's safest investment coins, this due to the various security features the coins contain to prevent counterfeiting. Both the design and weight of the coins have changed over the years. Today, the obverse shows an image of Lady Britannia and the reverse shows a monarch. Britannia coins are recognised worldwide, making them easy to trade. Today, the coins are minted in 1 troy ounce (31.103 grams) of pure gold/silver. 

Disclaimer: The Silver Mountain does not provide investment advice and therefore this article should not be considered as such. Past results do not guarantee future results.