Royal Mint gold bars: sizes, prices and how to check them
Royal Mint gold bars are 999.9 fine and made in Llantrisant, Wales. Britannia minted bars run from 1g to 100g (plus 1oz), and cast bars come in 500g and 1kg. On 11 October 2026, its 100g Britannia bar started at £10,640.63, about 4.4% over spot, while a single 20g bar cost 7.9% over.
The Royal Mint is better known for coins, but its Britannia bars are among the most recognisable small bars in Britain. They also have some of the newest anti-counterfeit features on the market.
Who makes Royal Mint bars?
The Royal Mint Limited is a company wholly owned by HM Treasury. It moved its minting from London to Llantrisant in South Wales from 1968, and its website describes it as the world's leading export mint, making coins for an average of 60 countries a year.
Bars have a longer and more tangled history. From 1852 the Rothschild family ran the Royal Mint Refinery next to the old Mint at Tower Hill, and it sold to Engelhard in 1967. That refinery is now on the LBMA's former Good Delivery list. The Royal Mint itself stopped making bullion bars after the move to Wales and revived the bar range in 2015. In 2024 it opened a plant in South Wales that recovers gold from electronic waste.
| Owner | HM Treasury (The Royal Mint Limited) |
|---|---|
| Base | Llantrisant, Pontyclun, Wales |
| LBMA Good Delivery (gold) | Not on the current list. The historic Royal Mint Refinery (Tower of London site) is on the former list |
| Fineness | 999.9 (24 carat) |
| Minted bars | Britannia 1g, 5g, 10g, 20g, 50g, 100g and 1oz; religious designs (Kaaba, Lakshmi, Ganesh) in some sizes |
| Cast bars | 500g and 1kg |
| Storage | The Vault, on site at Llantrisant, with a buyback facility |
"Good Delivery" is the London market's standard for large bars traded between banks. A refiner does not need to be on the list for its small bars to be genuine or easy to sell, but it is a useful sign of quality. Our guide to Good Delivery gold explains the rules.
What sizes do Royal Mint gold bars come in?
The Royal Mint's own gold bar page lists six Britannia minted sizes from one gram to 100 grams, a 1oz Britannia bar and cheaper "best value" bars in 1oz, 50g and 100g. Larger weights are cast. To picture how big each weight is, see our gold bar sizes chart.
| Bar | Type | Gold value (GBP) | Gold value (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Britannia 1g | Minted | ... | ... |
| Britannia 10g | Minted | ... | ... |
| Britannia 20g | Minted | ... | ... |
| Britannia 1oz | Minted | ... | ... |
| Britannia 100g | Minted | ... | ... |
| 500g | Cast | ... | ... |
| 1kg | Cast | ... | ... |
Live spot-based melt values, not dealer prices. You will pay more than this to buy and receive less when you sell.
How much over spot do Royal Mint bars cost?
The "premium" is the extra you pay above the value of the gold itself (the spot price). We captured The Royal Mint's own UK prices and APMEX's US prices on Sunday 11 October 2026, around 13:00 BST, while the market was closed. Spot was £3,171.45 and $4,195.60 an ounce (gold-api.com).
| Seller and bar | Price | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Mint, Britannia 1g ("from" price) | £146.12 | 43.3% |
| Royal Mint, Britannia 20g (single bar) | £2,199.71 | 7.87% |
| Royal Mint, Britannia 1oz ("from" price) | £3,341.49 | 5.36% |
| Royal Mint, best value 1oz ("from" price) | £3,328.77 | 4.96% |
| Royal Mint, best value 100g ("from" price) | £10,630.41 | 4.26% |
| Royal Mint, Britannia 100g ("from" price) | £10,640.63 | 4.36% |
| APMEX, Royal Mint Britannia 1oz (1 to 9 bars, check/wire) | $4,389.29 | 4.62% |
| APMEX, Royal Mint Britannia & Liberty 1oz | $4,449.29 | 6.05% |
Premium = price ÷ (fine gold oz × spot) − 1. The Royal Mint's "from" price is its lowest bulk tier: on the 20g bar, one bar cost £2,199.71 against a "from" price of £2,170.05 for 100 or more. Compare UK coin premiums in the premium tracker (GoldVetted price check, 10 October 2026).
What this tells you: small Royal Mint bars are expensive per gram, as they are for every brand. The 1g bar costs over 40% more than its gold. By 100g, the premium drops to around 4%. In the US, APMEX priced the 1oz Britannia bar the same as its PAMP and Royal Canadian Mint 1oz bars.
Compare bar prices at The Royal Mint
What are the new security features on Royal Mint bars?
In June 2025 The Royal Mint added coin-style security to its Britannia minted bars. According to its press release, they include:
- Latent image: a small panel that changes from a padlock to a trident as you tilt the bar.
- Surface animation: fine lines that look like waves moving behind Britannia when you rotate it.
- Micro-text: the words DECUS ET TUTAMEN, cut with lasers around the figure.
- Packaging: tamper-evident blister, UV watermark, QR code and a serial number that matches the bar.
Older Britannia bars without these features are still genuine Royal Mint products. They rely on the serial-numbered security packaging.
Are Royal Mint bars cast or minted?
Both. Bars up to 100g (and 1oz) are minted: cut from rolled gold and struck with the Britannia design, then sealed. The 500g and 1kg bars are cast, meaning gold is poured into a mould. The Royal Mint says cast bars carry a lower manufacturing premium and suit people buying larger amounts or holding gold in a pension. Our explainer on cast vs minted bars covers the trade-offs.
Who are Royal Mint bars best for?
Good fit if you
- Want a well-known British brand that UK dealers recognise.
- Prefer bars with visual checks you can do yourself.
- Plan to store in The Royal Mint's own vault and sell back to it.
Think twice if you
- Pay UK Capital Gains Tax: Britannia coins are exempt, bars are not.
- Want the lowest cost per gram: compare best gold bars to buy.
- Want an LBMA Good Delivery refiner's mark on the bar.
How can you spot a fake Royal Mint bar?
- Tilt it: on post-2025 bars, the padlock should turn into a trident. A printed copy will not change.
- Check the serial: the number on the bar must match the number on the sealed packaging.
- Look for tampering: the blister should be intact. A resealed pack is a warning sign.
- Weigh and measure loose or pre-owned bars, or ask a dealer to test them. See how to tell if gold is real.
Where can you buy Royal Mint bars?
| Country | Options | Tax note |
|---|---|---|
| UK | Direct from The Royal Mint (see our Royal Mint review) or UK dealers | VAT-free; bars are liable to CGT |
| US | APMEX listed Royal Mint 1oz bars in our check; see US dealer reviews | Gains taxed as collectibles |
| Canada | Some dealers stock them; see Canadian reviews | GST/HST-free at 99.5%+ |
| Australia | ABC Bullion listed a 1g Royal Mint Britannia bar on 11 October 2026; see Australian reviews | GST-free at 99.5%+ |
The Royal Mint also offers free international delivery on orders over £250 (terms apply). Browse other refiners in all gold bar guides.
Frequently asked questions
Are Royal Mint gold bars VAT free?
Yes. In the UK, investment gold bars of at least 99.5% purity are exempt from VAT under HMRC's investment gold rules, and The Royal Mint's bars are 999.9 fine. They are not exempt from Capital Gains Tax, though. Only legal tender coins such as the Britannia and Sovereign are CGT-free. See our UK gold tax guide.
Is The Royal Mint an LBMA Good Delivery refiner?
No. When we checked the LBMA's current gold Good Delivery list on 11 October 2026, The Royal Mint was not on it. The historic Royal Mint Refinery, once run by the Rothschild family next to the Tower of London, appears on the LBMA's former list. The Royal Mint's bars are still widely recognised by UK and international dealers.
What security features do Royal Mint Britannia bars have?
Bars launched in June 2025 carry a latent image that switches between a padlock and a trident as you tilt the bar, a wave effect behind Britannia, and laser micro-text reading DECUS ET TUTAMEN. The packaging adds a UV watermark, a QR code and a serial number matching the bar.
Is it cheaper to buy a Royal Mint bar or a Britannia coin?
On 11 October 2026, the 1oz Britannia bar's lowest-tier price at The Royal Mint was about 5.4% over spot, while its 2027 1oz Britannia coin cost 7.1% over spot in our check. UK buyers should weigh that saving against the coin's Capital Gains Tax exemption. Read gold coins vs gold bars.
Can I sell Royal Mint bars back?
If you buy from The Royal Mint and store the bar in its vault, The Vault, you can use its buyback facility. Bars delivered to your home can be sold to most UK bullion dealers. Keep the bar sealed in its serialised packaging so a buyer can check it quickly. See how to sell gold bars.
Does The Royal Mint make 1oz gold bars?
Yes. The Royal Mint's own UK gold bar page listed a Britannia 1oz minted bar and a "best value" 1oz bar on 11 October 2026, alongside gram sizes. In the US, APMEX listed a 1oz Royal Mint Britannia bar at 4.6% over spot on the same day.
Sources
We checked these primary and official sources when writing and fact-checking this page.
- The Royal Mint: Gold bullion bars (sizes, prices, packaging, VAT, Vault)
- The Royal Mint: Britannia 20g gold minted bar (quantity price tiers)
- The Royal Mint: Press release on the secure Britannia bullion bar
- LBMA: Good Delivery current list, gold
- LBMA: Good Delivery former list, gold (Royal Mint Refinery)
- HMRC VAT Notice 701/21: investment gold
- APMEX: 1oz gold bars (Royal Mint prices captured 11 Oct 2026)
- Wikipedia: Royal Mint (HM Treasury ownership, Llantrisant 1968, Royal Mint Refinery history, 2024 recovery plant)
- Express & Star (PA): New Royal Mint gold bars can be authenticated by rotating them in the light, 2 June 2025
Not financial advice. GoldVetted provides general information to help you compare options. It is not personal financial, tax or legal advice. Gold prices go down as well as up, and you may get back less than you pay. Check tax rules with the official source or a qualified adviser before you act.