Gold Guides
Buying, selling, storing, grading and tax, in plain English.
3 articlesGold News
The gold market explained for British buyers.
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Sept
How to Buy Gold Coins in the UK: A Plain English Beginner’s Guide
Everything a first time buyer needs: which coin, bullion or certified, how prices work, VAT and Capital Gains Tax, buying safely, storage and selling.
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What Is the Best Gold Coin to Buy?
An honest comparison of the Britannia, the Sovereign, the Royal Tudor Beasts, the Queen’s Beasts and certified coins, and which suits which kind of buyer.
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Britannia vs Sovereign: Which Should You Buy?
A side by side comparison of Britain’s two great gold coins: purity, weight, sizes, security, history, premiums, tax and which buyer each suits.
Read the guideCollectors and certified coins
All guidesSept
Understanding Coin Grading: The 1 to 70 Scale Explained
How the Sheldon scale works, what MS, PF and SP mean, the factors graders judge, raw versus certified coins, and when grading is worth it.
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PCGS vs NGC: The Two Grading Companies Compared
The history of PCGS and NGC, how their labels and designations differ, how to verify a coin, and whether either commands a premium.
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MS69 vs MS70: Is the Top Grade Worth the Premium?
What separates a 69 from a 70, why the price gap can be so large, and how to decide which one represents better value for you.
Read the guideLatest gold news
All newsSept
Why Central Banks, and China Above All, Keep Buying Gold
Central banks have bought gold at historic levels since 2022, and China’s central bank has now added gold for 22 months in a row. What is driving it.
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Why Gold Prices Rise and Fall
The real forces behind the gold price: the US dollar, interest rates, inflation, central banks, investment demand, jewellery, supply, and what the pound does to UK prices.
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Why Finding New Gold Is Getting Harder
Fewer major discoveries, lower ore grades, rising costs and decade long development times: the supply side of the gold market explained.
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