Buy Britannia Gold Coins – Britain's Guardian Goddess in 999.9 Fine Gold

The Britannia gold coin from the Royal Mint has been one of Europe's most prestigious investment coins since its introduction in 1987. With 20 products at CelticGold across all four standard sizes, and since 2021 incorporating the most advanced anti-counterfeiting technology of any regularly struck gold coin, the Britannia combines centuries of British numismatic tradition with cutting-edge security and 999.9/1,000 fineness.

History – From Sterling to Fine Gold

The Britannia figure traces her origins to Roman coins of the 2nd century AD, when Emperor Hadrian depicted the province of Britannia as an armoured woman on bronze medallions. Under King Charles II, Britannia first appeared on British copper coinage in 1672 and has appeared on British coins ever since – making her one of the longest-running coin designs in the world.

The Britannia gold bullion coin launched in 1987 – originally in 917/1,000 (22 carat). In 2013, it was upgraded to 999.9/1,000 to match the purity of the Maple Leaf and Vienna Philharmonic. From 2021, the design changes annually and incorporates a tincture-line security feature – a micro-engineered network of lines in the background field, derived from banknote printing technology, that is practically impossible to replicate. The 2023 obverse shows King Charles III for the first time.

Key Facts

Available Sizes

UK coins: United Kingdom. Queen's Beasts: Gold Queen's Beasts. Silver Britannia: Silver Britannia. All series: Gold Coins by Series.

FAQ

What is the tincture-line security feature? A micro-engineered grid of fine lines in the background field, producing a specific shimmer at certain viewing angles. Derived from banknote anti-counterfeiting technology – it cannot be reproduced with standard minting equipment.

Pre-2013 Britannia coins – are they different? Yes – coins from 1987–2012 were struck in 917/1,000 (22 carat). They carry the same fine gold content per declared weight but lower overall purity. Both generations are VAT-exempt investment gold.