A Quarter Ounce of Royal Mint Gold
This is a 1/4 troy ounce gold Britannia from Britain’s Royal Mint, struck in .9999 fine gold, 22 mm across, carrying a 25 pound face value as UK legal tender. The Britannia has run as a bullion series since 1987, and this listing ships one coin from a modern year of our choice.
Nathan’s Britannia
The reverse is Philip Nathan’s Britannia, drawn for the 1987 debut and kept as the bullion design ever since. She stands on a rocky shore with the wind pulling at her gown and Corinthian helmet, an upright trident in one hand and a Union Jack shield braced in the other, an olive branch beside it. BRITANNIA runs up the left rim, the weight and 999.9 FINE GOLD along the right, and NATHAN sits in the rocks at her feet. A light-shifting latticed background is one of the security features the Royal Mint builds into the coin. The obverse shows the reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II on older coins and King Charles III on newer ones.
What a Quarter Ounce Costs
A quarter ounce is a higher premium per ounce than a one ounce Britannia or a one ounce bar. The Royal Mint spends almost as much on dies, striking and handling for a 22 mm coin as for a full ounce, and that cost lands on a quarter of the gold. Every fractional gold coin works this way. Buy the quarter for the smaller outlay and the divisibility, not for the cheapest gold.
A Random Year, Our Choice
You do not pick the date or the effigy. The coin comes from whatever modern year is in stock, so the obverse may carry Queen Elizabeth II or King Charles III, and you cannot request one. Condition runs from Brilliant Uncirculated to lightly handled, since these move as bullion rather than graded coins. Every year uses the same Nathan reverse, so the look is consistent whatever date arrives.
Specifications
The coin is a quarter troy ounce of .9999 fine gold, 22 mm across and about 1.63 mm thick, with a reeded edge and a 25 pound face value, in uncirculated condition with the date various. See the Specifications tab for current packaging and the year in stock.
1/4 oz Gold Britannia FAQ
Why does a 1/4 oz coin cost more per ounce than a 1 oz?
Because minting a small coin costs nearly the same as minting a large one. Dies, press time and handling barely change with size, so on a quarter-ounce coin that fixed cost spreads across a quarter of the gold. This holds for every fractional coin, from any mint.
What year and design will I get?
A modern Gold Britannia from our current stock. The Nathan Britannia reverse is on every year, while the obverse effigy is Queen Elizabeth II on older coins or King Charles III on those from the changeover onward. Specific years and effigies cannot be requested.
What condition are these coins in?
Brilliant Uncirculated to lightly handled. They are sold as bullion, not graded coins, so expect a bright coin that may carry minor contact marks from tubes and handling. Gold does not tarnish, so there is no toning to worry about.
Is it real gold and real legal tender?
Yes to both. It holds a quarter ounce of .9999 fine gold and it is a 25 pound coin of the United Kingdom, struck and backed by the Royal Mint. The gold is worth far more than the face value.
Is this coin IRA eligible?
Yes. At .9999 fine and struck by a sovereign mint, it clears the gold standard for a precious metals IRA, and a custodian can hold it the same as a fractional Gold Eagle or Maple Leaf.
Adding British gold to the stack? The rest of our covers the other Britannia sizes and the Sovereign.
Start the series at a quarter ounce. Add a 1/4 oz Gold Britannia to your cart.