British Silver Coins for Investment
Silver is one of the leading precious metals at the moment, and the demand for silver coins from sovereign mint programs and a select few private mints has at times threatened to put all coin programs on halt due to silver shortages. JM Bullion is proud to carry some of the world’s most well-known, and up-and-coming, silver bullion coin programs, including the various Royal Mint silver options from the United Kingdom.
History of the Royal Mint
Today, the Royal Mint remains one of the foremost facilities in the world. The most popular product from the mint is the sovereign Britannia coin. On the reverse face of each coin is the image of the mythical Britannia, a goddess from Roman times who was believed to have watched over the nation. She is featured on each Silver Britannia coin with a trident in one hand and a shield bearing the Union Jack flag of the United Kingdom, her eyes constantly fixed on the English Channel separating the British Isles from mainland Europe.
Originally founded as the London Mint in 886, the British Royal Mint is one of the oldest operating facilities in the world. Throughout its history, the Royal Mint has produced some of the most widely used coins in the world, due in large part to the size and scope of the former British Empire. Coins from the Royal Mint were once used from North America to Europe, Australia, Africa, and Southeast Asia.
British Silver Britannia Coin Series
The modern-day official bullion coin of Britain, these coins feature an image of the Roman deity Britannia, who served as a protector for the British Isles. Introduced in 1997, these coins were originally available with .958 fine silver but are now produced in .999 pure silver. The 2017 release of these silver coins marks the milestone 20th anniversary for the silver version of Britain's official bullion coin, and the modern highlights of these coins include:
- Arrives in a protective plastic capsule, mint tube of 25 coins, or Monster Box of 500 coins.
- Contains 1 Troy oz of .999 pure silver in BU condition.
- Bears a face value of 2 (GBP) backed by the British government.
British Silver Britannia coins have had the same design concepts on the obverse and reverse faces of the coin since their introduction in 1997. The only changes ever to come to the program occurred recently with the introduction of an updated portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the coin’s obverse side. Further details include:
- On the obverse of all British Silver Britannia Coins you'll find the newest portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. Her Majesty's effigy is updated on occasion to reflect her current age on the throne. A new designed debuted on 2016 issue Royal Mint coins from Jody Clark, marking the fifth generation depiction of the Queen.
- The reverse of the British Silver Britannia includes the image of the goddess Britannia, famed guardian of Britain. She is depicted standing along the island's southern coast, looking out across the English Channel with her trident (to control the seas) as she holds a shield in her other hand to guard the nation that bears the Union Jack insignia.
In addition to the regular-issue Silver Britannia coins, there is Royal Mint silver bullion available with unique designs from this same collection. For example, the Silver Britannia is available in a gilded and colorized version, as well.
Each British Silver Britannia Coin with a gilded finish has a beautiful, 24-karat gold layering applied to the image of Britannia. This is applied only to the reverse side of the coin, where you’ll find Britannia’s figure holding a shield with the Union Jack flag on it to guard the seas and a trident in her right hand to ward off invaders.
The obverse of these British Silver Britannia Coin includes the latest effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. Her Majesty has featured on the obverse of British coinage since her ascension to the throne in 1952, and this is the latest update to her portrait. Created in 2015 by Jody Clark, it now appears on all British currency. No gilded finish is applied to Her Majesty’s effigy.
All British Silver Britannia gilded coins in this offering are in BU condition. Coins in this condition exhibit no signs of wear and tear, though you may notice a range of minor flaws including breaks in the luster, spotted surfaces, or contact marks from the coining process.
The Colorized British Silver Britannia coin has magnificent full color finishes added to the reverse design of the coin. Britannia herself remains clad in a brilliant silver robe, while the red, white, and blue colors of the Union Jack flag on her shield have been brought to life.
Her Corinthian helmet has a beautiful gold color while her brown locks of hair blow in the breeze against a backdrop of blue. British Silver Britannia coins honor the historical belief in Britannia, a goddess who protected the British Isles from all invaders.
On the reverse of Colorized British Silver Britannia coins you’ll find that magnificent image of Britannia, with all the colorized features mentioned above included in this iconic image of British culture. The obverse image of Her Majesty remains, with no colorization added to her depiction.
All colorized and gilded Silver Britannia coins are originally produced by the Royal Mint. These limited-edition coins, 5,000 in total, are available courtesy of Emporium Hamburg. The third-party authorized dealer in Germany added the colorized and gilded applications to the coins’ reverse fields.
British Silver Queen’s Beast Coin Series
On June 2, 1953, Her Majesty The Queen was crowned sovereign head of England. During the ceremony, ten heraldic beasts stood guard outside the coronation in Westminster Abbey. The Queen’s Beasts, as they are known, are a collection of statues commissioned by the British Ministry of Works and sculpted by James Woodford RA. Each one stands six feet tall and was cast in plaster. Each of the ten statues depict the genealogy of The Queen, with each of the heraldic beasts symbolizing the various strands of The Queen’s royal ancestry.
Launched in 2016 the British Queen’s Beast Coin series is an exciting option for those looking to buy silver because it offers a Royal Mint first. The 2 oz bullion coins in this collection, featuring .9999 pure silver content and a face value of £5 (GBP), mark the first-ever release of a 2 oz bullion coin from the Royal Mint. The series is set to feature a total of 10 designs, and each release will include the 2 oz silver coin, as well as a 1 oz and ¼ oz gold option.
The British Silver Queen’s Beast Coins from the Royal Mint are among the first to feature the latest effigy of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, on the obverse face. The designs come from Royal Mint engraver Jody Clark, who at just 33 years old, became the youngest Royal Mint engraver to design an effigy of the Queen for British coinage. This design includes:
- The obverse side of the coin bears the latest depiction of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II in right-profile relief. The Queen's portrait is accompanied by engravings of her name and the face value in Pound Sterling. This represents the fifth iteration of Her Majesty's portrait to appear on UK coinage since 1952.
2016 Lion Coin
First up in the release schedule was the 2016 British Queen’s Beast design of the Lion of England, the most prominent and important to Queen Elizabeth II directly. The Barbary lion is the national animal of England. During the Middle Ages, lions kept within the Tower of London were Barbary lions, and English medieval warriors even took on the name of “The Lion” for their bravery in battle. The most famous of these British rulers was Richard I of England, who is known to this day simply as Richard the Lionheart.
- On the reverse of the 2016 British Queen's Beast Lion Coin is the image of a massive lion standing on its hind legs, with the heraldic shield of Britain in front of it. Engravings on this face identify the animal represented in the series, as well as the coin's weight, purity, metal content, and year of issue.
2017 Griffin Coin
The Griffin is considered a beneficent creature that signifies courage and strength combined with the virtues of guardianship, vigilance, swiftness, and a keen sense of vision. The Griffin was emblazoned on the private seal of Edward III. King Edward III reigned for 50 years from January 1327 until his death in June 1377, and was known for restoring royal authority following his father’s (Edward II) disastrous reign, and also for establishing the Kingdom of England as one of Europe’s most formidable military powers.
For the second overall release of the series, and the first of 2017, the Royal Mint selected the image of the Griffin of Edward III. With the head, wings, and front paws of an eagle, and the body of a lion, this was said to be the most powerful animal in the world. That power comes from the lion’s status as king of the beasts, and the eagle’s status as king of the birds.
- On the 2017 Queen’s Beast Griffin coin’s reverse you’ll find the image of a Griffin standing tall and proud, its wings fully outstretched over its head. It has its front paws up on a shield, and includes engravings of the weight, metal content, purity, and year of issue.
2017 Dragon Coin
Known officially as the Red Dragon of Wales, the dragon itself was originally used by Owen Tudor, grandfather of Henry VII. He was a Welsh courtier and the second husband of Catherine of Valois, the widow of Henry V. Owen descended from a prominent family from Penmynydd in the Isle of Anglesey, and was the grandfather of Henry VII, who founded the Tudor dynasty.
The Red Dragon of Wales includes the coat of arms used by the last native Prince of Wales, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd The dragon’s origin is based upon the story of the dragon on Llewelyn the Last’s castle grounds. Henry VII took on the symbol in a nod to his supposed descent from the Cadwaladr. Now, the Red Dragon design is available as the third overall release in the series, and the second release of the 2017 schedule.
- On the reverse of the 2017 British Queen’s Beast Dragon Coin is the image of the Red Dragon of Wales. The dragon is often depicted holding a shield bearing a lion in each quarter of it, which accurately depicts the coat of arms used by Llywelyn.
British Silver Shengxiao Series
Launched in 2014, the Shengxiao Series from the Royal Mint is an increasingly popular series celebrating the Chinese Lunar Calendar. Each year, the coins in the program feature the new animal in the Zodiac represent a particular year on the lunar calendar.
Coins released to date in the Shengxiao Series include the Year of the Horse, Year of the Goat, and Year of the Monkey Silver coins. All Royal Mint silver coins consist of .999 pure silver, with face values listed in Great British Pounds (£ GBP), and share common obverse imagery of Queen Elizabeth II’s right-profile image. Gold coins from the Royal Mint in this collection feature .9999 fine gold content.
Coins released prior to the 2016 year of issue in this collection feature Ian Rank-Broadley’s 1998 image of the Queen, while post-2016 coins have the new Jody Clark design released in 2015. All reverse designs in the Shengxiao Series from the Royal Mint were designed by British-Chinese artist Wuon-Gean Ho, and each one is completely unique from other lunar coin series produced at other mints around the globe. Currently, Silver.com has the following releases and designs available:
- 2016 British Silver Monkey Coin: On the reverse side of the 2016 1 oz. Silver British Monkey coin is the image of a pair of monkeys in a tree. In the foreground, one monkey is featured as it begins to leap from one branch to another, while the monkey in the background is hanging from a branch by its arms. Bears a face value of £2 (GBP) backed by the government of the United Kingdom. Ships to you in an individual plastic flip, Mint tubes of 25, or Monster Boxes of 500.
- 2017 British Silver Rooster Coin: The reverse side of each 2017 1 oz. Silver British Rooster Coin includes the unique Year of the Rooster design, and bears engravings that read “Year of the Rooster,” “2017,” and include the Chinese symbol for rooster. Ships in a plastic capsule, mint tube of 25, or sealed Monster Box of 500 coins. Face value of £2 (GBP) is fully backed by the United Kingdom.
Purchasing British Silver Coins Online from JM Bullion
For those buying silver, JM Bullion makes it easy to pay for your silver bars or British Silver Coins by accepting a variety of payment methods.. JM Bullion accepts major credit/debit cards, paper checks, PayPal transfers, and bank wire transfers. PayPal and bank wire transfer process immediately, while credit/debit cards process in one business day on average. Paper checks take as many as six business days to process.
JM Bullion proudly offers free standard shipping and insurance on all purchases over $99. If you’d like to upgrade to expedited shipping, it is available for an extra charge. All products are packaged and shipped in discreet boxes, and in the event your shipment is lost or damaged we’re here to help. We’ll work to secure a replacement product for you, or provide a full refund of your purchase price.
If you have any questions for a JM Bullion associate regarding British Silver Coins, please feel free to reach out to us. We’re available at 800-276-6508, online using our live web chat feature, and via email. Don’t forget to visit our website to track spot silver prices throughout the day!
