The 10 Best Gold Coins to Buy from the UK

It’s almost impossible to be a bullion fan without knowing about the importance of the British Royal Mint. Originally founded over 1,100 years ago, it is easily the world’s oldest operating mint. Each year, the British Royal Mint releases new coins for collectors to enjoy. But the real thing that keeps people coming back to buy from the mint again and again is its track record of excellent annual collectable releases. Coin collections like the Queen’s Beasts and the Lunar Series have kept buyers returning for years and years, and these collections are often capped off with limited mintage “completer coins” that truly bring the series to its end. 

Today, we’re providing you with a starter list of ten of the best gold coins to buy UK. An important note: some of the coins on this list are not actually made within the present-day United Kingdom. If you’ve ever wondered why you see Queen Elizabeth on so many different gold coins, we’re here to enlighten you. 

In its earlier centuries, Britain was one of the biggest empires in the world. Many of the other countries with coins on our list, including Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, were actually originally colonies controlled by Britain. They use the effigy of the coin as a way to pay homage to the history of their bullion production, which is often traced back to Great Britain’s bullion aspirations within their newly formed colonies. 

This means that the term “best gold coins to buy UK” can be a bit deceiving. This guide is mainly about coins minted by the famous and long standing British Royal Mint, but we also included a few extra coins that merely use British imagery of the Queen on their reverse sides. You’re probably ready to learn about some of the best gold coins to buy UK, so let’s get to the good stuff! 

Gold Britannia Coin

It’s tough to say that any one coin is the best gold coin to buy UK,. However, we’re pretty confident that the Gold Britannia Coin takes the cake for most collectors. The coin itself was first released in 1987 and has maintained an exceptional purity of .9999 for the past eight years.

Before 2013, the Gold Britannia Coin was minted using .917 purity. But while the coin is really only around 25 years old in its new edition, the imagery used on the coin is far older. Britannia was actually the female personification for Britain used by both Brits and Romans for centuries. Here, she is shown on the reverse holding a trident in one hand and a British shield in the other. 

On the obverse of the coin, you can expect to see Jody Clark’s 2015 depiction of Queen Elizabeth II’s effigy. This is going to be a pretty big trend on our list today; all of the coins minted in the U.K. and, therefore, in this guide feature Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse, although a few coins use the work of artists other than Jody Clark. 

The famous image and beautiful simplicity of the Gold Britannia is one reason it remains one of Britain’s most exceptional and popular gold coins. 

Sovereign Gold Coin

Speaking of coins with straightforward designs and impressive histories, you can’t go wrong with the Sovereign Gold Coin. As the name suggests, the main purpose of the coin is to celebrate the sovereign leader of the country, Queen Elizabeth II. Curiously enough the Sovereign Gold Coin was originally minted as a circulation coin to be used as legal tender within England. But as time went on, the pure gold coin was phased out; it is now sold as a bullion coin by the British Royal Mint. 

On this coin, the obverse depicts Queen Elizabeth II as rendered by artist Mary Gillick. The reverse typically includes a depiction of Saint George and the Dragon, a bullion art take on the classic Christian story in which Saint George slays a dragon that had been demanding human sacrifices from his community. Sounds great, right? This coin is a staple of the British Royal Mint’s coinage reputation globally, and it easily made our list of the best gold coins to buy UK. 

Lunar Series Gold Coins

The Lunar series centers around the animals on the Chinese Lunar Calendar. This cultural device has been used around the world as a form of personality assessment for centuries. Depending on the year in which you were born, you’re assigned an animal which is said to represent your personality, traits, and even your future. The Chinese Lunar Calendar goes by twelve year cycles. 2021 is the Year of the Ox, while 2022 will be the Year of the Tiger. 

The reverse of each of the coins in this classic UK gold coin series features a different animal from the Chinese Lunar Calendar, adding a level to its collectable appeal that is really tough to match. These coins are also appreciated as incredible gifts, partly because of what the animal on its reverse side represents for the personality of the recipient. On the obverse side, we’re again greeted with the familiar face of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. 

Queen’s Beasts Gold Coins

Another one of the best gold coins to buy UK is anything from the Queen’s Beasts Series. This has undoubtedly been one of the most successful series from the British Royal Mint in recent decades. The original “Queen’s Beasts” was a series of statues created by sculptor James Woodford to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Each of the statues is a majestic animal meant to represent a unique member of Queen Elizabeth’s family and ancestry. The British Royal Mint began this series in 2016, and they actually concluded this year with the release of the Queen’s Beasts Completer Coin, which we’ll cover in a moment. 

Each of these coins provides a unique reference to British history and royalty. This gives the collection another unique kind of historic and cultural significance, especially to close followers of the British monarchy and its royal family. Care to take a guess at who decorates the obverse of this famous coin? If you guessed, Queen Elizabeth II herself, you are correct! This coin series is best appreciated as a full collection, and its unique collectability and historical meaning makes it one of the best gold coins to buy UK. 

Queen’s Beasts Completer Gold Coin

Okay, you caught us. We might be double-dipping a bit by making the Queen’s Beasts Completer Gold Coin and the Queen’s Beasts Gold Coins two different entries. However, the completer coin in this series is notably different from the other entries in the collection, so this warrants more discussion. This coin is meant to, as the name suggests, complete your collection of Queen’s Beasts Gold Coins. As such, the obverse shows Queen Elizabeth in the center. She is surrounded by all of the “Beasts,” giving the symbolic impression that she is being backed by all of her familial supporters. 

What makes this coin truly unique is that it can be appreciated as both an addition to the existing collection or as a standalone coin. The piece includes all of the Queen’s Beasts on its obverse side, so it contains all of the historical references packed into a single gold coin. The magnificent detail we’ve come to expect from the British Royal Mint is on full display in this Queen’s Beasts Completer Gold Coin. 

Historic British Gold Coins

This is a pretty broad category, but we felt it needed inclusion just because of the Royal British Mint’s section of historic gold coins. The Royal British Mint sources gold coins from all over its country and from around the world to provide users with extremely rare and aged coins. Buying old gold coins isn’t for everyone; gold coins minted prior to 1900 often don’t offer the same kind of purity modern bullion pieces can. 

But what they lack in purity, historic gold coins make up for in cultural and collectible value. Imagine holding a 1887 Queen Victoria Sovereign Coin in your hands. It’s truly a unique experience that calls to a number of bullion collectors. 

There isn’t much more to say about historic British Gold Coins. You can buy the best historic gold coins in the UK from a variety of sources, including the country’s official mint itself. To some collectors, the best gold coins to buy UK are those that are aged like the finest of wines. 

British Myths and Legends Gold Coins

This series is all about fun. The British Royal Mint recently announced the first in a new series called “Myths and Legends.” This exceptional collection seeks to commemorate some of the most exciting cultural images and tales in the history of the country. The latest release in the Myths and Legends series is the Robin Hood coin, which depicts the cloaked hero firing an arrow from a tree on its obverse side. The reverses of these coins will invariably depict Queen Elizabeth II. 

One of the big reasons that these coins represent one of the best gold coins to buy UK is that it provides collectors with the chance to celebrate their favorite childhood tales in the form of bullion. We’re certainly excited to see which new myths and legends of Britain’s incredible history will be chosen next in this series of some of the best gold coins to buy UK. 

Australian Gold Kangaroo Coin

The next three coins are going to be a bit different than the previous seven. The Australian Gold Kangaroo coin is minted in, you guessed it, Australia. The historic Perth Mint was actually originally founded as a branch of the British Royal Mint. The establishment of the Perth Mint was an extension of Britain’s colonial rule over the country of Australia. Nowadays, ownership of the mint has been transferred to the Australian people, although queen Elizabeth’s face on the obverse of their popular coins pays homage to their colonial relationship with Britain. 

This coin’s design is pretty straightforward; it features the Kangaroo, which is perhaps Australia’s most famous animal. It is shown here crouching over some tall grass, its powerful haunches on full display to onlookers. The reverse is, once again, Queen Elizabeth II. If you’re in love with the idea of an adorable coin that celebrates Australia’s most famous kicking, jumping beast, the Australian Gold Kangaroo Coin is clearly one of the best gold coins to buy UK. 

Australian Gold Koala Coin

This is another one of the best gold coins to buy UK, and it scores points much like the Gold Kangaroo Coin. It doesn’t really get cuter than the Koala. While the Kangaroo might be more universally recognized as an Australian wildlife staple, the Koala is also native to the region. On the Australian Gold Koala Coin, the adorable little fella is shown munching on a Eucalyptus leaf, which is true to its only known natural source of food. 

The obverse of this coin is, unsurprisingly, Queen Elizabeth II. The adorableness of this coin’s design makes it one of the most collectable and the best gold coins to buy UK. 

Canadian Gold Maple Leaf Coin

The Canadian Royal Mint was also started as a branch of the historic British Royal Mint. This time, the location would be Canada, which had recently been colonized by Great Britain. Like Australia, the coins minted by the Canadian government often feature an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II on their reverse. The Canadian Gold Maple Coin is widely considered one of the most popular gold coins in the history of the world. 

The obverse of this coin is Queen Elizabeth II, while the reverse depicts a detailed drawing of the Canadian Sugar Maple Leaf, the national symbol of the country. This symbol even appears on Canada’s official flag. While this coin is not made in the UK, its history of relations with the British Royal Mint makes it one of the best gold coins to buy UK. 

Final Thoughts: Best Gold Coins to Buy UK

If you’re looking to buy some of the best gold coins in the United Kingdom, you aren’t actually forced to exclusively peruse the offerings of the Royal British Mint. Mints from several countries are closely tied to Britain. However, most of the coins above do come from the British Royal Mint. Let’s face it: Britain has had quite a bit of a head start, considering that their mint has been operating for over a thousand years. 

Regardless of which of the best gold coins to buy UK you choose to go with, we hope you’ll trust the Hero Bullion team with your purchase.