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Practical UK-focused guides for new and experienced bullion buyers. Tax, identification, buying, storage — every article links back to the live dashboard and the calculator so you can apply what you read straight away.
UK Tax
CGT-free bullion coins in the UK
Why UK Sovereigns and Britannias are free from Capital Gains Tax for UK residents, and how that changes the maths vs gold bars or foreign coins.
Read article →UK VAT on silver, platinum and palladium
How 20% VAT applies to silver, platinum and palladium bullion in the UK, why gold is exempt, and the legal ways to reduce or eliminate it.
Read article →Buying
Cast vs minted bars — which is better?
How cast and minted bullion bars are produced, why cast bars are cheaper at larger sizes, and which format is right for which buyer.
Read article →Gold as an inflation hedge — does it actually work?
What the long-run data says about gold's effectiveness as an inflation hedge for UK investors, and the time horizons over which it works.
Read article →Premium per gram by size — which bullion is best value?
How much extra you pay per gram of metal as you move between 1g, 1oz, 100g and 1kg bullion. The cheapest gold per pound spent in the UK.
Read article →Proof, BU and bullion — what's the difference?
How proof, uncirculated and bullion coins differ in finish, premium and resale value, and which to buy for investment vs. collection.
Read article →Spot, premium and dealer price explained
The three layers of every bullion transaction — spot, premium and dealer buy/sell spread — and how to use them to negotiate UK bullion deals.
Read article →Why bullion premiums vary so much (and what they actually cover)
Why a 1g bar has a 20% premium and a 1kg bar has a 2% premium. The cost layers between spot and the price you actually pay.
Read article →Identifying
How to spot fake gold and silver
Practical tests every UK buyer should run — magnet, density, dimensions, sound, sigma, ultrasound. Fake-coin reference and what to do if you've been sold one.
Read article →UK hallmark guide — Lion Passant, leopard's head, date letters
How to read a UK hallmark — sponsor's mark, assay office, fineness symbol, date letter. The complete reference for identifying old gold and silver.
Read article →Storage
Reference
A short history of The Royal Mint
Over 1,100 years of British coinage — from Alfred the Great's London moneyers to the modern Llantrisant bullion operation that produces today's Sovereigns and Britannias.
Read article →Gold karats and fineness explained (24k, 22k, 18k, 14k, 9k)
Karat / carat numbers, millesimal fineness and percentage purity — the complete conversion table for UK gold jewellery and bullion.
Read article →Grains, pennyweights and Asian bullion units explained
The less common bullion weights — grains, pennyweights, tolas, bahts, maces — what they mean, where they're used, and how to convert.
Read article →Troy ounce vs avoirdupois ounce — what's the difference?
The two ounces that look the same on paper but differ by 10%. Why bullion uses the troy ounce, the exact conversions and the units every UK buyer should know.
Read article →What is LBMA Good Delivery and why does it matter?
The London Bullion Market Association's Good Delivery accreditation, why dealers care, and what it means for UK retail buyers.
Read article →Why central banks buy gold — and why it matters for the price
Central banks have been buying gold at near-record pace since 2022. Who's buying, why, and what it means for the long-run gold price.
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