Britannia 1 oz, since 2013, Gold

Britannia, the personification of Great Britain, is not only the namesake of the first European bullion coin, but is also depicted as a motif on the reverse. The Britannia gold coin was minted for the first time in 1987, since then the coin has been produced continuously by the Royal Mint in Great Britain, whereby the appearance has been adapted again and again.

The changing appearance and the small mintage of the coin also make it interesting for collectors.

History of the Britannia Gold Coin

The coin was introduced in 1987, one year after many countries had decided to ban the import of the most traded bullion coin until then, the Krugerrand. From the beginning until 2021, the coin was made of 22 carat gold, i.e. with a purity of 917/1000. From 2013, the purity was raised to 24 carat, i.e. 999.9/1000.

Since the beginning of its minting, the number of coins has declined, as various other bullion coins are now offered.

The appearance of the Britannia coin over time

From 1987 to 1989, as with the Krugerrand, copper was added, giving the coin a higher scratch resistance than pure gold. From 1990, silver was used as an additive, making the gold appear brighter and less reddish than when alloyed with copper.

From 2013, when no other metals were added, the colour of the coin changed again and is now pure gold.

The obverse of the Britannia coin

The Britannia gold coin shows the monarch of Great Britain on the obverse and the theme Britannia on the reverse. These themes have remained unchanged since they were first minted and yet the Britannia is in a constant state of flux. During the period from 1987 to 2022, the monarch was Queen Elizabeth II and her image was adapted four times during that time so that her image aged with her.

The reverse of the coin

Even more frequently, the reverse has been redesigned. Most bear the coinage known as the standing or classic Britannia. The classic Britannia is based on the Britannia that was on the two shilling coin from 1901-1910. It is an upright standing female figure representing Britannia, she is equipped with a shield, trident and a Greek/Roman helmet.

Over the years, other designs were also used, but sometimes only for limited editions. However, the theme was always Britannia and her insignia the trident, the helmet and the shield. A few motifs were supplemented with a lion.

While the motif of the classical figure Britannia remained unchanged, older coins and new coins still do not look identical. In certain years, the surrounding rim was changed and since 2017, patterns have been added to the background to make it more difficult to counterfeit the coin.

Buy Britannia coins in Switzerland

Because the coins are produced in relatively small mintages compared to other bullion coins, they are not often found in the Swiss trade.

If offered on PreMeSec you can buy here.

Britannia coins for sale in Switzerland

Thanks to its status as a well-known bullion coin, the Britannia coin can be sold at many banks and all precious metal dealers and of course on PreMeSec.ch. When selling a Britannia coin directly to another private person, much higher prices can be achieved than when selling the same coin to a bank.