Britannia-Lunar / Queen's Beasts
Also: Queen's Beasts, King's Beasts, Royal Mint Bullion, GB Lunar
Umbrella name for the Royal Mint's British bullion coin ranges, released as themed editions that pair a solid investment core with strong appeal to collectors.
For hundreds of years the Royal Mint in Britain has produced coinage of outstanding craftsmanship. Its contemporary bullion lines - chiefly the Britannia, the Queen's Beasts and the British Lunar series - now rank among the most desirable investment coins anywhere in the world. Because the premium (agio) differs sharply from one series and motif to the next, it is worth checking the live gold price and silver price ahead of any purchase.
Britannia
Gold Britannias date back to 1987 and silver Britannias to 1997. The gold piece was first minted at 916.7 ‰ (22 carat), but since 2013 it carries a fineness of 999.9 ‰ (fine gold); the silver version comes in at 999 ‰. The famous design depicts Britannia in person - Great Britain's national emblem. The following denominations are offered:
| Weight | Fine weight (gold) | Dia. approx. (mm) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 oz | 31.10 g | 32.7 |
| 1/2 oz | 15.55 g | 27.0 |
| 1/4 oz | 7.78 g | 22.0 |
| 1/10 oz | 3.11 g | 16.5 |
In the UK these coins count as legal tender. For Malta the rules are as follows: gold Britannias qualify as investment gold and are VAT-free under the EU investment-gold provisions (Council Directive 2006/112/EC; bars from 995‰, coins from 900‰). Malta imposes no capital gains tax on the private sale of movable property such as bullion, so a gain from a private disposal falls outside Maltese CGT - which is confined to a defined set of assets like immovable property and securities - and no holding period applies. Silver Britannias generally attract the standard Maltese VAT rate of 18 %, though a margin scheme can come into play when purchasing through dealers. None of this constitutes personal tax advice. Sources: cfr.gov.mt, legislation.mt, eur-lex.europa.eu.
Queen's Beasts (2016-2021)
The Queen's Beasts range features ten heraldic creatures that appeared as statues at the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Every design was issued both as a 2-ounce silver coin and as a 1-ounce gold coin:
- Lion of England (2016)
- Griffin of Edward III (2017)
- Red Dragon of Wales (2017)
- Unicorn of Scotland (2018)
- Black Bull of Clarence (2018)
- Falcon of the Plantagenets (2019)
- White Lion of Mortimer (2019)
- White Horse of Hanover (2020)
- White Greyhound of Richmond (2020)
- Yale of Beaufort (2021)
With all ten designs now struck, the range is finished. On the secondary market a full set frequently sells at a marked premium above its metal content. The coin weight checker lets you verify the gross weight of each individual coin in seconds.
British Lunar series
Much like the more famous Australian Lunar series from the Perth Mint, the Royal Mint has released its own Lunar coin every year since 2014, each showing the Chinese zodiac animal for that year. The fineness is 999.9 ‰ for gold and 999 ‰ for silver. Limited mintages help sustain collector value over time.
Melt value (gold, 1 oz) = Fine weight (31.1035 g) × current gold price per gram
In brief
Britannia, Queen's Beasts and British Lunars are top-tier bullion coins offering globally recognised fineness and excellent liquidity. They are an appealing choice for anyone looking to unite investment substance with collecting potential - just remember to build in the relevant premium over the spot price.