Gold Britannia value
A one ounce gold Britannia contains one troy ounce of gold, 31.1 grams, at 999.9 fine according to the Royal Mint’s specification, so its metal value is almost exactly the spot price of an ounce. This calculator reads that price in pounds from gold-api.com, shows the time it carries, and values the 1 oz coin or the half, quarter and tenth ounce versions. Type a dealer’s price and you see the premium over the gold. Like the sovereign, the Britannia is UK legal tender, which takes it outside Capital Gains Tax, and it is investment gold for VAT. Unlike the sovereign, it is pure gold measured in ounces, which makes it easy to compare with bars and foreign bullion coins such as the Krugerrand and the Maple Leaf. Gold by Carat is an independent site, not a gold buyer or a dealer.
Example: value of the gold in 1 × Gold Britannia 1 oz
£3,099
31.103 g of pure gold per coin, £3,098.60 each
| Gold in 1,000 parts | 999.9 |
| Tax when you sell | British coin: no Capital Gains Tax |
Figures and rules checked by the site’s publisher, Radif Partners · How the values are worked out · Editorial policy
Britannia coins and their gold
| Coin | Fine gold | Metal value |
|---|---|---|
| Gold Britannia 1 oz | 31.103 g | £3,099 |
| Gold Britannia ½ oz | 15.552 g | £1,549 |
| Gold Britannia ¼ oz | 7.776 g | £774.65 |
| Gold Britannia 1/10 oz | 3.110 g | £309.86 |
More detail below: tap a heading to open it.
The specification
The Royal Mint gives the 1 oz Britannia as one troy ounce of 999.9 fine gold, and publishes the half, quarter and tenth ounce coins at the same fineness. The calculator values each from its stated content, so the figures do not depend on your scales.
Premium and spread
Dealers sell Britannias above the metal value and buy them back below it. On one ounce coins the premium is usually smaller as a percentage than on sovereigns or fractional coins, because the fixed cost of the coin is spread over more gold. Type a dealer’s price to see the premium, and compare it with the premium on a bar of similar weight.
Tax
As UK legal tender, the Britannia is sterling currency and outside Capital Gains Tax. It also meets the investment gold tests in HMRC’s VAT guidance, so no VAT is charged. Bars and foreign coins are VAT-free too, but gains on them are taxable under the chattel rules, which is why Britannias and sovereigns are popular with investors who expect large gains. The Krugerrand and Maple page shows the alternatives.
A silver Britannia is a different case for VAT; see the silver Britannia page.