Britannia-Lunar / Queen's Beasts
Also: Queen's Beasts, King's Beasts, Royal Mint Bullion, GB Lunar
Collective term for British bullion coin series from The Royal Mint, issued in themed releases that combine investment value with high collector potential.
The Royal Mint in the United Kingdom has struck coins of the highest quality for centuries. Its modern bullion programmes – above all the Britannia, the Queen's Beasts and the British Lunar series – are today among the most sought-after investment coins worldwide. The current gold price and silver price should be compared before every purchase, as the premium (agio) varies greatly depending on series and design.
Britannia
The Britannia has been issued in gold since 1987 and in silver since 1997. The gold coin was originally struck at 916.7‰ (22 carat); from 2013 the fineness is 999.9‰ (fine gold). The silver version reaches 999‰. The iconic design shows the personified Britannia – the national symbol of Great Britain. Available denominations:
| Weight | Fine weight (gold) | Ø 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 |
Britannia coins are legal tender in the United Kingdom. Under UK law: gold Britannias are exempt from VAT as investment gold (HMRC; minimum purity 995‰; Directive 2006/112/EC), and because they are UK legal tender issued by The Royal Mint, any gain on disposal is exempt from Capital Gains Tax, with unlimited gains. For silver Britannias the standard 20% VAT applies. This is not individual tax advice.
Queen's Beasts (2016–2021)
The Queen's Beasts series comprises ten heraldic beasts that stood as sculptures at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Each design was struck as a 2-ounce silver coin and 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)
The series is complete – all ten designs have been struck. Complete sets often command significant premiums over the metal value on the secondary market. With the coin weight checker the gross weight of individual coins can be quickly verified.
British Lunar series
Analogous to the better-known Australian Lunar series of the Perth Mint, The Royal Mint has issued its own Lunar coin annually since 2014, featuring the Chinese zodiac sign of the respective year. The fineness is 999.9‰ in gold and 999‰ in silver. The mintages are limited, which supports the collector value in the long term.
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 first-class bullion coins with internationally recognised fineness and high liquidity. Anyone wishing to combine investment value and collector potential finds attractive options here – the respective premium over the spot price should always be factored in.