Silver Britannia supply
The silver Britannia is an iconic British coin. The coin was released in 1997, due to the popularity of its gold counterpart. The silver Britannia offers investors and easy entry point into the world of precious metals, as the spot price of silver is currently 85 times cheaper than gold.
The coin adds divisibility and stability to any precious metal’s portfolio. Being legal tender in the UK offers investors the added advantage of acquiring the coin CGT free. We will now explore the current and historical limits on the mintage of this iconic piece of British coinage.
Early limits on mintage
In 1997, when the coin was first released into the market, the coin was available with the fineness of .958, indicating 95.8% pure silver. The coin is released in three ways; as proof, uncirculated bullion, and as part of proof sets. Mintage numbers have varied from year to year for each of these categories, but have settled on 2,500 for both proof types, and 100,000 for the bullion coins since 2008.
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The initial limit imposed on the 1-ounce proof orders in 1997 was 16,005. In the same year, the limit for proof sets was set at 11,832. By 1998, the uncirculated bullion mintage reached 88,909. The Royal Mint was responding to its increased demand as a silver bullion coin. However, in the same year, the 1-ounce proof edition of the coin was reduced to 3044. Proof sets orders were also limited to 3044, down from 11,832 in the first year of issue.
The silver Britannia coin
Variable mintage quantities over the next seven years
By 1999, uncirculated bullion amounts of reduced to 69,394 and proof coins were discontinued in both the 1-ounce proof and the sets categories. The next few years saw limited numbers of uncirculated bullion coins being released in the market, ranging from 81,301 in 2000 to 100,000 in 2004. During these years, extremely limited quantities of proof sets and the 1-ounce proof coins were released. The Royal Mint was releasing the coins year-on-year, according to expected demand.
Further changes to the silver Britannia
Steady streams of 100,000 uncirculated bullion coins were released from 2004 to 2009. An interesting fact to note is that in 2006, a silhouette collection of proof sets was released, which had five styles where the purity of silver was increased to 99.9%, along with gold gilts around the coin. By 2013, the purity of the coin was raised to 999.9 or 99.9%. The popularity of the coin had been greatly enhanced by this time. Mintage has become unlimited since 2013, in an attempt to meet the rising investment demand. The coin is therefore produced according to the volume of the order book.
An interesting anomaly
In 2014, around 17,000 silver Britannia coins were struck at the Royal Mint with a wrong image on the obverse. There had been a mix-up with the Royal Mint’s lunar series – the year of the horse. These coins are commonly known as the ‘Mule Britannia’ and carry substantial premiums at auctions, due to demand from numismatists.
Get in touch with Physical Gold for silver Britannia investments
The silver Britannia is a flagship silver coin for investors and can generate good returns in the long-term. Call our investment team on (020) 7060 9992 to find out how this iconic British coin can be added to your portfolio.
Image credit: Eric Golub
Investing & Collecting Silver Britannias
This video looks at the ever popular Britannia silver coins and assesses its role as a collectable investment.
The original Britannia coin was released as a 1oz gold coin by The Royal Mint in 1987. It attempted to emulate the success of the gold Krugerrand which has cornered the gold investment market for the previous two decades.
The silver Britannia launched ten years later and was originally issued as 958 fineness 1oz silver coin. From 2013, purity was increased to 999.9 fineness, otherwise known as 24 carats.
The coin characterises the best of Britain, with Queen Elizabeth’s portrait on the obverse and various versions of the Britannia icon on the back. The notion of Britannia goes back to Roman times and is depicted as a brave goddess warrior, complete with shield and trident. Her shape supposedly represents the personification of the British Isles.
So why is the silver Britannia such a good collectable investment?
1.Low premiums
The idea behind the Britannia is to offer a bullion coin containing 1oz of silver at a low premium. The coin is mass-produced to reduce costs and buyers are handsomely rewarded with price reductions when ordering large quantities of the coin.
2. Varied designs and options
The main image of Britannia on the coin’s reverse gives the coin its beauty. For those seeking to combine investment with collecting different coins, the Britannia is a great option as the image is updated regularly. The classic Britannia design stands, holding aloft her trident and shield. Previous motifs have included her riding a chariot, sat with a lion, close up and more contemporary designs.
Some designs are only available in proof finishes, but their variety makes the Britannia collectable, enhancing future values.
Special edition Britannias have also been launched, including the Oriental border and 30th-anniversary edition.
3. Tax efficient
Unlike the non-UK silver coins we sell, the Britannia has the added advantage of being legal tender in the UK. With its face value of £2, any profits made when selling silver Britannias is free from Capital Gains Tax. With predictions for the silver price to skyrocket over the coming years, the Britannia silver coins CGT tax free status really helps boost its merits as a collectable investment.
4. Stackable
With its modest 1oz in weight, the Silver Britannia provides a low-cost entry into the world of precious metals. Unlike the larger silver options such as 1kilo bars, the Britannias allow regular purchases for modest investors. Gradually building a silver Britannia collection is a great way of cost averaging the market while developing a nest egg.
If bought in bulk, storage is made simple. The coins come in Royal Mint tubes of 25 coins and monster boxes of 500, great for silver stacking.
5. Proof sets and fractional sizes
If you veer more towards the collector rather than an investor, the Silver Britannia is a versatile option. Each year, the coin is not only minted in bullion finish, but also as a proof coin with strictly limited issue size. While these coins cost a far higher premium, they come in beautiful presentation boxes and make for great gifts. Fractional versions are also available as part of special proof sets which include 6 different coin sizes.
Contact us to buy Britannia silver coins
So there you have it. The sheer versatility of Britannia silver coins makes it a fantastic choice as a long term investment and collectors coin. As our best selling silver coin, we help customers buy and sell Silver Britannias every day. If you need help or guidance, don’t hesitate to call us on 020 7060 9992 or send us a message here.
If you enjoyed this video on Silver Britannias, you may also want to view our others in our video tutorial suite. These cover both gold and silver, coins and bars.