Security Features on Britannia Coins

Counterfeiting has long been one of the biggest threats to gold coin collectors. Whether you’re investing a little bit of money in fractional gold coins or thousands of dollars in rare bullion coins, the ever-present threat of buying a counterfeit is enough to make most dealers carefully vet their coins before selling them to the public. Counterfeit coin technology has evolved rapidly over the past few decades. Some operations can generate coins that look almost indistinguishable from the genuine gold and silver coins they’re imitating. 

Luckily, revolutions in mint technology have allowed some manufacturers to fight back against scammers and counterfeit coin sellers. The Royal British Mint is one of the oldest mints in the history of the world, and their anti-counterfeit technology provides consumers with an unprecedented level of security. 

In today’s blog, we’re taking a look at the security features on Britannia Coins. We’ll cover everything you need to know about how the British Royal Mint works to make it nearly impossible for scammers to replicate the look and feel of a classic gold or silver Britannia. 

The British Royal Mint

Like we mentioned above, the British Royal Mint is one of the oldest mints on the planet. Its history of over 1,100 years has given England’s national mint more than enough time to perfect and innovate their mining technologies. It might be worth mentioning that the Royal Mint isn’t actually the oldest continually running mint in history. This distinction goes to France’s national mint, the Monnaie de Paris.

Still, this extensive history has made the British Royal Mint the most recognizable name in bullion. Their most popular coin is the Britannia, which is available in both gold and silver. These coins have been a major target for counterfeiters, which prompted the security features on Britannia coins that we’re taking a look at today. 

Counterfeiting: A Major Threat

The counterfeit gold coin industry is worth millions. While most coin dealers meticulously check their coins to ensure that they aren’t accidentally selling counterfeits to their customers, coin collectors fall victim to costly counterfeits every year. 

Counterfeiting technology has also advanced considerably in the past few decades. While prototype counterfeit coins often included clear mistakes that tipped their hand as fakes to careful collectors, modern technology has allowed criminals to create coins that are virtually identical to the real thing. 

To combat this technology, mints have entered a virtual arms race with counterfeit operations. One of the leading actors in this explosive battle is the British Royal Mint. Let’s take a closer look at some of the security features on Britannia coins that help keep collectors safe from counterfeit British coins. 

Key Security Features on Britannia Coins

Gold and silver Britannia coins feature four main anti-counterfeiting technologies to help collectors verify that their coins are legitimate. Because of the advanced tools required to put these features on each coin, it’s nearly impossible for counterfeiters to create realistic copies of Britain’s most popular gold and silver coins. 

4 of the main security features on Britannia coins include:

• Micro text
• Surface animation
• Latent image
• Tincture lines

Let’s take a look at all four of these security features on Britannia coins to give readers a better idea of what the British Royal Mint is doing to combat counterfeit coins. 

Take a look at the security features on Britannia coins in the graphic below: 

Micro Text

Micro text is exactly what it sounds like. Using advanced specialist laser technology, the British Royal Mint’s artisans inscribe a familiar phrase in very fine print around Britannia. The phrase is “DECUS ET TUTAMEN,” which is Latin for “an ornament and a safeguard.” You can barely spot this text with the naked eye because of how small it is. 

This is why authorized dealers often vet coins using advanced microscopes. The microscope can identify this tiny inscription where the naked eye fails. Because of the miniscule size of the micro text, it’s almost impossible for counterfeiters to replicate with any degree of consistency or precision. Micro text is one of the main security features on Britannia coins, and we consider it highly effective.

Surface Animation 

Behind Lady Britannia, you’ll find a beautiful, repeating wave-like pattern. On modern releases, this wave pattern actually doubles as a security feature on Britannia coins. While there’s no actual animation happening on the coin, the picosecond laser technology used to create this pattern makes it seem like the waves roll behind Britannia. 

It should go without saying that most home counterfeit operations can never actually replicate this level of detail and precision. But even massive counterfeiting organizations are unlikely to beat this core security feature of the modern silver and gold Britannia coins. 

Latent Image

The latent image is one of the coolest security features on Britannia coins. It’ll appear as a small circular design on the reverse of the coin. When you rotate the coin to a different angle, the image changes. Looking at it directly from the front, you’ll see a trident. But a small shift in the angle of the coin results in it changing shape; it instead shows off a padlock design. 

A creative addition to the newest line of British Britannia coins, the latent image both adds a flair of design to the coin and deters counterfeiters. Like most of the security features on Britannia coins, this is nearly impossible to replicate. Frankly, we reason that a counterfeiter might spend more money creating the technology to counterfeit a modern Britannia than the actual coin would be worth! 

Tincture Lines

Tincture lines are even more difficult for counterfeiters to replicate. This security feature refers to a complicated pattern of lines on the surface of the coin, including the shield that Britannia holds in her left hand. Tincture lines were actually used on most bullion coins before the advent of modern minting technology. The Royal Mint brought them back, this time applying them using a complex combination of colors and patterns. 

While some counterfeiters might be able to replicate some of the security features on Britannia coins, it’s going to be extremely difficult for a scammer to reliably copy the unique tincture lines included on modern coins from the British Royal Mint. We consider this to be yet another impressive security feature on the Royal Mint’s most popular and valuable bullion coin series.

Security Features for the Gold Britannia

We have some good news for gold stackers. The modern Gold Britannia features the same security features used to create the Silver Britannia. Security features on Britannia coins help to protect investors from making costly mistakes. On the newest line of Gold Britannia Coins from the British Royal Mint, you’ll find the following anti-counterfeiting security measures: 

• Micro text
• Surface animation
• Latent image
• Tincture lines

Sound familiar? We like that the British Royal Mint has applied the same security features on Britannia coins, regardless of the precious metals they’re created with. Gold security features are even more important to serious precious metal collectors. While falling victim to a counterfeit silver coin can cost thirty or forty bucks, consumers who are scammed by a fake gold coin could lose thousands. 

Take a look at some of the advanced security features on Gold Britannias below: 

Advanced Royal Mint Technologies

The Royal Mint owes much of its success to the advanced minting technologies that it has developed over the past few decades. In fact, many of the world’s mints that were once associated with Britain have leveraged the newest tech to help protect investors against counterfeiting scams. The Royal Canadian Mint, for example, has introduced a number of new security features to combat counterfeit operations. 

But how can you avoid counterfeit silver and gold coins? Let’s take a look at how to use security features on Britannia coins to save yourself from making an embarrassing mistake. 

How to Avoid Counterfeit Silver and Gold Coins 

There are a few ways you can avoid buying counterfeit coins. The easiest way to only buy genuine Britannia coins is to work with reputable, licensed precious metal dealers. Hero Bullion has been selling gold coins for several years, and we extensively vet all coins for authenticity before selling them to you. In fact, we have an entire staff of bullion experts with decades of experience who work to ensure that no fake coin leaves our shop for shipping. 

Even if you choose to buy from a small local dealer, you can protect yourself against scams by researching security features on Britannia coins. If your coin doesn’t have these key features, you might be dealing with a fake. 

If all else fails, contact an expert! Bullion dealers and numismatic experts will be happy to take a look at your coin and tell you if it’s a counterfeit. 

Final Thoughts: Security Features on Britannia Coins 

Security features on Britannia coins represent the very latest in ever-evolving minting technology. Using micro-lasers and a vast array of additional tools, the British Royal Mint is slowly winning the fight against counterfeiters. 

Still have questions? Contact our customer support team, and we’d be happy to assist you. 

You might also be interested in: 

• What Are Goldbacks? 
• How to Store Gold the Right Way
• How to Display Gold Coins