1/4 oz Britannia Gold Coin | Mixed Years

1/4 oz Britannia — 999.9 fine, sterling legal tender

A quarter ounce of 999.9 gold, 22.00 mm across, with a face value of 25 pounds. Mixed-year stock: the reverse has been Philip Nathan’s standing Britannia throughout, so pieces from different years differ mainly in the date and in which monarch appears on the obverse.

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

Coins dated up to 2022 carry Queen Elizabeth II. From 2023 the obverse is the coinage portrait of King Charles III by Martin Jennings. Mixed-year stock ships as available, so the obverse depends on the year you receive.

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.

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

Can I choose the year? No. Mixed-year stock ships as available. The reverse design is the same across years.

Is it really free of capital gains tax? For UK residents, yes — the exemption follows sterling legal tender and the Britannia carries a face value in pounds. Non-UK residents are taxed under their own rules.

How much gold does it contain? A quarter troy ounce, 7.7759 g, at 999.9 fineness.

Does it come in a capsule? Yes. Every coin is dispatched in a protective capsule.

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