2013 Gold Britannia Proof Sets

2013 sees the first Gold Proof 5 Coin Britannia set. As The Royal Mint are trying to capture market share with their bullion products they have changed both the alloy of the coin and the packaging this year to bring them in line with other World Mints.

0.9999 Gold

Gold Britannias used to be minted in 22ct gold, but from this year they will be 24 carat or .9999 gold. We do not think this will make a difference to UK collectors - they are still investment gold and so exempt from VAT, and they are still legal tender Sterling hence Capital Gains Tax (C.G.T.) free - but it may make it easier for export.

We believe that many countries impose a higher level of tax or duty when importing 22 carat gold, we have had experience of this with an Australian gentleman who had bought sovereigns from us whilst living in the U.K. and then exchanged them for 24ct when he was returning home to Australia, and we believe that Canada may be the same.

Design for 2013

Whilst the bullion versions of the coin retain the Philip Nathan design, the proof versions will now feature designs by contemporary British artists, in order to mark a new era for the coin. This years is designed by Robert Hunt and shows a seated Britannia. The owl on the coin draws from Roman tradition and represents wisdom. An owl is commonly associated with the greek goddesses Minerva or Athena.
The coins in the sets have the portrait of the Queen, by Ian Rank-Broadley, on the obverse. It has been approved for use on United Kingdom coins since 1998.

2013 Gold Britannia Proof Set

For the patient collector, many of the older sets which we offer represent a very good deal as they are at considerable savings compared with purchasing the current year's set direct from the Royal Mint.
Britannia proof sets have been issued every year since 1987.

Twentieth Ounce Coin

This year The Royal Mint have added a new denomination to the set - a twentieth ounce £1 coin.
The face values for the coins change depending on their gold content. So a one ounce coin is £100, a half ounce is £50 and a quarter ounce is £25. A tenth ounce coin is £10, so we would expect the twentieth ounce to follow the pattern and have a face value or £5, however it is not. For some reason the coin has a face value of £1, although we are not sure why.

Technical Specifications

The set has a limited edition presentation of 250, meaning that The Royal Mint has only issued 250 of these sets in this specific style.

Notes on Table

2013 Gold Britannia Proof Set

Postage & Packing
UK Registered Post (Special Delivery) £9 per order
EU Insured Post £10 per order
USA Airmail $10,
Insured Shipping $20
Canada Airmail $15,
Insured Shipping via Fedex $40