1/2 oz Britannia Gold Coin | Mixed Years

1/2 oz Britannia — 999.9 fine, sterling legal tender

Half a troy ounce of 999.9 gold, 27.00 mm across, face value 50 pounds. Mixed-year stock, so the date and the obverse portrait vary while the reverse stays the same.

Specifications

The Royal Mint publishes the fine gold content and the diameter for this coin but not a thickness figure, so none is quoted here.

Which monarch is on the obverse

Up to 2022 the obverse is Queen Elizabeth II; from 2023 it is King Charles III in the coinage portrait by Martin Jennings. Mixed-year stock ships as available.

Four security features

Since the 2021 issue the Royal Mint has built four anti-counterfeiting features into the Britannia: micro-text reading DECUS ET TUTAMEN, a latent image that shifts between a padlock and a trident as the coin is tilted, tincture lines on the shield’s Union flag, and a surface animation that makes the background move like water.

Half ounce against one ounce

Per gram the half ounce carries a higher premium than the one ounce coin, because minting costs are spread over half the metal. Against that it is easier to sell in parts: two half ounces can be split, one ounce cannot.

VAT and UK capital gains tax

HMRC treats a coin minted after 1800 as investment gold if it is at least 900 thousandths fine, is or has been legal tender in its country of origin, and normally sells at no more than 180 per cent of the open market value of its gold (VAT Notice 701/21A). The Britannia is 999.9 fine, UK legal tender and sold on the gold price, so it meets all three tests.

It is also a United Kingdom coin with a face value in pounds, so it is sterling legal tender. The UK exemption from capital gains tax follows sterling legal tender, which is why Britannias and Sovereigns sit outside that tax while a Krugerrand, Maple Leaf or Philharmonic does not. This is a statement of the published rule, not tax advice — your own position depends on your circumstances.

Questions buyers ask

Why is no thickness given? Because the Royal Mint does not publish one for this coin. We would rather leave a figure out than print an unverified one.

Can I choose the year? No. Mixed-year stock ships as available.

Is it exempt from capital gains tax? For UK residents, yes. The exemption follows sterling legal tender and this coin has a face value in pounds.

How much gold does it contain? Half a troy ounce, 15.5517 g, at 999.9 fineness.

Authenticity checked at GoldInvest24 before dispatch. Other sizes are on the Britannia gold coins page. Live quotes on the precious metals prices page.