Gold Half Ounce 2010 Britannia, Coin from United Kingdom - detailed information

Like many other mints, the Royal Mint issues bullion coins in precious metals, having much higher intrinsic value than their face value. The half ounce (1/2 oz) gold coins are denominated as Fifty Pounds (£50).

The coins are legal tender but are not intended for circulation. They are targeted at bullion investors or collectors who appreciate the special editions as pieces of art. The mint makes a distinction between plain "bullion" coins (issued in Brilliant Uncirculated grade) and proofs; the "bullion-grade" coins have textured backgrounds of both the obverse and the reverse designs and use the generic "authoritative" design, while proofs are typically "one-year" types. They are usually issued in parallel with other denominations/sizes having the same reverse designs.

In 2010, the Royal Mint released a new reverse design for the Britannia coin range by artist Suzie Zamit, featuring the profile bust of Britannia, reminiscent of the head of Marianne as Ceres on the early twentieth-century French 20 Franc gold coins.

The composition of the coin is 91.77% gold alloyed with 8.23% silver. The half-ounce (1/2oz) gold coin was issued as "bullion" (in Brilliant Uncirculated grade) and in Proof FDC grade in mint sets.