Where to buy gold in the UK: dealers compared on price
For most UK buyers, a specialist online bullion dealer is the cheapest place to buy gold. In our check on 10 October 2026, the lowest single-coin premium on a 1oz Britannia was 2.8% at Chards, against 7.1% for a new 2027 Britannia bought direct from The Royal Mint. Britannias and Sovereigns are free of Capital Gains Tax.
UK gold buying in 60 seconds
- No VAT on investment gold coins and bars (HMRC Notice 701/21).
- No Capital Gains Tax on Sovereigns and Britannias, because they are sterling legal tender (HMRC CG78305).
- Bars and foreign coins (Krugerrands, Maple Leafs, Eagles) are liable to CGT above the £3,000 annual exempt amount.
- Premiums vary a lot. The same type of coin cost between 2.8% and 7.1% above spot across the four dealers we checked.
What UK dealers charge: our price check
A premium is the amount you pay above the value of the gold itself (the spot price). It is the single biggest cost when you buy, so we checked it ourselves. We recorded the price for one coin on each dealer's own product page, using the cheapest payment method shown.
| Dealer | Product | Price | Premium over spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chards | 1oz Britannia, best value (Minty) | £3,259.95 | 2.80% |
| Hatton Garden Metals | 1oz Britannia, best value (post-2012 mixed years) | £3,281.19 | 3.47% |
| Atkinsons Bullion | CGT-free UK 1oz coin, best value | £3,285.02 | 3.59% |
| The Royal Mint | Britannia 2027 1oz (new design year) | £3,397.16 | 7.13% |
| Dealer | Product | Price | Premium over gold value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hatton Garden Metals | Sovereign, mixed years (out of stock at check) | £767.48 | 2.81% |
| Chards | 2027 Full Sovereign | £777.47 | 4.14% |
| Atkinsons Bullion | 2027 Full Sovereign | £792.65 | 6.18% |
| The Royal Mint | The Sovereign 2027 | £807.30 | 8.14% |
How we checked: prices captured between 21:13 and 21:15 BST on Saturday 10 October 2026, when the gold market was closed, so prices were not moving. Spot price from gold-api.com. A Sovereign contains 7.3224 g of fine gold (0.2354 troy oz). "Best value" and "mixed years" coins are usually cheaper than the current year's design, so compare like with like. BullionByPost does not allow automated price checks, so it is not in the table. This check runs automatically every month.
What this means for you: on a single 1oz Britannia, choosing the cheapest dealer rather than the most expensive would have saved £137.21. That is more than a year of storage at the £10 a month Chards advertises. Use our premium calculator to check any quote you get.
UK gold dealers compared
We list dealers in order of the premium we found on a 1oz Britannia. Commission does not affect this order. Each summary only includes what we could see on the dealer's own website on the date we checked.
Chards
Lowest Britannia premium in our check- Britannia premium
- 2.80% (1 coin)
- Sovereign premium
- 4.14% (2027 coin)
- Shows premium %
- Yes, on each product page
- Storage
- Offered, from £10 a month
Chards prints the premium percentage next to every quantity tier, which makes comparison easy. Its "Minty" best value Britannias are mixed-year coins in mint condition, which is why they cost less than the current year's design.
Check Chards prices Read our Chards review
Hatton Garden Metals
Shows a live buyback price- Britannia premium
- 3.47% (1 coin)
- Sovereign premium
- 2.81% (mixed years, out of stock)
- Buyback shown
- Yes: £3,067.15 for a Britannia (3.3% below spot)
- Delivery
- Free insured Special Delivery on orders over £200
Hatton Garden Metals shows what it would pay you to buy the coin back, right next to its selling price. That lets you see the full round-trip cost before you buy: about 6.8% on a Britannia on the day we checked.
Check Hatton Garden Metals prices Read our review
Atkinsons Bullion
Clear quantity discounts- Britannia premium
- 3.59% (1 coin)
- Sovereign premium
- 6.18% (2027 coin)
- Dispatch
- Within 3 to 5 working days (as shown at checkout)
- Pre-owned range
- Yes, including mixed-date Sovereigns
Atkinsons publishes a full price ladder from 1 coin up to monster boxes, so you can see exactly what buying ten coins instead of one saves. Its "CGT-free UK 1oz coin" best value line may be a Britannia or another UK legal tender 1oz coin.
Check Atkinsons prices Read our review
The Royal Mint
Buying direct from the maker- Britannia premium
- 7.13% (2027 coin)
- Sovereign premium
- 8.14% (2027 coin)
- Shipping
- Within 1 to 5 working days for UK orders
- Owner
- HM Treasury
The Royal Mint makes Britannias and Sovereigns, so authenticity is not a question. You pay for that certainty: its new-year coins were the most expensive in our check. The same coins are sold by the other dealers on this page, with the same tax treatment.
Visit The Royal Mint Read our review
BullionByPost and BullionVault
Not in this month's price tableBullionByPost is one of the UK's largest online dealers, but its product pages do not allow automated price checks, so we leave it out of the price table. Its category page showed best value 1oz Britannias "from £3,272", which is a bulk price rather than a single-coin price. BullionVault sells gold stored in professional vaults rather than delivered to your door, so it is not directly comparable with the coin prices above. See our BullionVault vs Royal Mint comparison.
How gold is taxed in the UK
Two taxes matter when you buy and sell gold in the UK: VAT when you buy, and Capital Gains Tax (CGT) when you sell at a profit.
| What you buy | VAT when buying | CGT when selling |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereigns (1837 onwards) and Britannias | None (investment gold) | None: sterling legal tender is exempt |
| Gold bars (99.5%+ purity) | None (investment gold) | Chargeable above £3,000 a year |
| Foreign coins (Krugerrand, Maple Leaf, Eagle) | None, if they qualify as investment gold | Chargeable above £3,000 a year |
| Gold jewellery | 20% included in the price | May be chargeable; a separate chattels rule can apply |
From 6 April 2026, CGT on gains above the £3,000 annual exempt amount is charged at 18% for basic rate taxpayers and 24% for higher and additional rate taxpayers (GOV.UK). Gold you still own when you die counts towards your estate for Inheritance Tax, whatever form it is in. Our UK gold tax guide covers worked examples, record keeping and pre-1837 coins.
Which coins are CGT-free?
HMRC's Capital Gains Manual states that "Sovereigns minted in 1837 and later years and Britannia gold coins are currency" and, like all sterling currency, are exempt from CGT (CG78305). Other Royal Mint legal tender gold coins are treated the same way. This is why UK buyers often pay a little more for a Britannia than for a Krugerrand with the same gold content.
| Coin | Fine gold | UK legal tender? | CGT-free? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Britannia (1oz) | 31.10 g | Yes (£100) | Yes |
| Full Sovereign | 7.32 g | Yes (£1) | Yes, if 1837 or later |
| Half Sovereign | 3.66 g | Yes (50p) | Yes, if 1837 or later |
| Krugerrand (1oz) | 31.10 g | No (South African) | No |
| Maple Leaf (1oz) | 31.10 g | No (Canadian) | No |
Where to keep your gold in the UK
You have three realistic choices. A home safe costs nothing to run, but standard home insurance policies often cap cover for valuables, so check yours. A dealer or Royal Mint vault keeps your coins in professional storage; Chards, for example, lists storage from £10 a month. A vault service such as BullionVault lets you own gold in a vault and sell it online. Our gold storage guide compares costs and risks.
Selling gold in the UK
The gap between what a dealer sells for and what it pays back is called the spread. On the day we checked, Hatton Garden Metals would buy a Britannia back for £3,067.15, 3.3% below spot. Add the 3.5% premium you paid and the round trip cost about 6.8%. That is why gold suits people planning to hold it for years, not weeks. Read where to sell gold in the UK for buyback rates by dealer.
Check a UK dealer quote
More UK guides
Frequently asked questions
Where is the cheapest place to buy gold in the UK?
Specialist online bullion dealers usually charge the lowest premiums. In our check on 10 October 2026, the cheapest single 1oz Britannia was 2.8% above spot at Chards, and the cheapest Sovereign was 2.8% above spot at Hatton Garden Metals (although it was out of stock). Buying a new-year coin direct from The Royal Mint cost more, at 7.1% to 8.1% above spot.
Is it safe to buy gold online in the UK?
It can be, if you use an established dealer that shows live prices, ships with full insurance and has a clear buyback policy. Check the company on Companies House, read recent independent reviews and pay by bank transfer to a UK account in the dealer's own name. Be wary of anyone cold-calling you or promising returns.
Do you pay VAT on gold in the UK?
No VAT is charged on investment gold. HMRC Notice 701/21 says bars of at least 99.5% purity and qualifying coins (minted after 1800, at least 90% pure or legal tender, and sold for no more than 180% of their gold value) are exempt. Silver and gold jewellery do carry VAT.
Which gold coins are free of Capital Gains Tax in the UK?
Coins that are UK sterling legal tender, mainly Sovereigns minted from 1837 onwards and Britannias. HMRC's Capital Gains Manual (CG78305) treats them as currency, which is exempt. Gold bars and foreign coins such as Krugerrands, Maple Leafs and American Eagles are chargeable assets.
Can I buy gold from a UK bank?
UK high street banks do not generally sell physical gold coins or bars to customers. Most people buy from The Royal Mint, a specialist bullion dealer, or a vault service such as BullionVault.
How much gold can I buy without ID in the UK?
There is no single legal threshold for card or bank transfer purchases. Dealers must follow the Money Laundering Regulations and set their own limits, so expect identity checks and proof of address on larger orders, and stricter checks if you want to pay in cash.
Sources
We checked these primary and official sources when writing and fact-checking this page.
- HMRC Capital Gains Manual CG78305: Foreign currency (sterling coins and Krugerrands)
- HMRC VAT Notice 701/21: Gold acquisitions, imports, investments and VAT
- HMRC VAT Notice 701/21A: Investment gold coins
- GOV.UK: Capital Gains Tax rates and allowances
- The Royal Mint: Britannia 2027 1oz gold bullion coin (price checked 10 Oct 2026)
- Chards: 1oz Gold Britannia best value (price checked 10 Oct 2026)
- Atkinsons Bullion: CGT-free UK 1oz gold coin best value (price checked 10 Oct 2026)
- Hatton Garden Metals: 1oz Gold Britannia (price checked 10 Oct 2026)
- LBMA: Precious metal prices
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.