A Very British History of Gold Coins from The Royal Mint

For over a millennium the Royal Mint has underpinned and maintained the British currency. Though its main operations involve managing the coins we use on a daily basis, it also produces a variety of gold bullion coins, for commemorative and investment purposes.

But it's often difficult to tell what sets these different coins apart from each other and by association - which Royal Mint gold coins you should buy.

The Royal Mint

The Royal Mint is generally thought to have been established by Alfred the Great in 886. After uniting the English kingdoms, it was the first time that a unified authority was created to control the national currency. This established a relationship between nation, monarch and currency which has been maintained ever since.

The Mint it was based in the Tower of London for much of its life, before the demands of decimalisation forced it to move to South Wales in the 1960s.

The best Royal Mint gold coins to buy

So if you’re considering investing in these tokens of British heritage, take a look at some of The Royal Mint's long-running sets of gold coins:

Sovereign

The Sovereign gold coin has been minted continuously since 1817 from 22 carat gold. It is created to the exact specifications of the Coinage Act the year before its first mint. For many years, gold Sovereigns were used in everyday circulation, as a 1 pound coin, but they are now only produced as a commemorative item. Have a look at the 2017 gold Sovereign here.

Britannia

The popular Britannia gold coins have been produced by the Royal Mint for 30 years, and are made from 1 troy ounce of 24 carat gold. Though they have a face value of £100, they've never been used in circulation, and have always been a collector's item.