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Gold Tier Advisory

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Gold Coin Guide

Gold Academy · Lesson 1

What Is Physical Gold?

Physical gold is the metal itself: coins you own outright and can hold in your hand.

Last reviewed October 2026

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Read by Natalie Hayes. Press play to listen.

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Welcome to the Gold Academy

The Gold Academy is a set of short lessons in plain English on owning physical gold, written for people who are new to it. Work through them in order, page by page, or jump straight to the ones that matter to you. Every lesson is also recorded, so if you would rather listen, just press play.

In short: Physical gold means real coins or bars in your possession or stored in your name. You own the metal itself, not a share in a fund.

Physical gold vs paper gold

Some products track the gold price through funds or shares, often called paper gold. With those you own units in a structure, not metal. Physical gold is simpler: a one ounce Britannia is 31.1 grams of 999.9 fine gold. If you can hold it, you own it.

What physical gold looks like in practice

For UK buyers it usually means UK legal tender coins, chiefly the Britannia and the Sovereign. They are recognised worldwide and exempt from Capital Gains Tax for UK residents, which gold bars are not. Our coins range from a quarter ounce, an easy first coin, up to five ounces. They arrive in plain packaging, fully insured and signed for at your door.

What gold does not do

Gold pays no interest and its price moves down as well as up. It is not a get-rich scheme. People buy gold coins to own and keep, often for many years.

Next lesson: Why do people own gold? · Back to the Academy

This page is general information, not financial advice. The value of gold can go down as well as up and past performance is not a guide to future performance.

Start at the beginning

The free Gold Coin Guide covers all of this in plain English.

Get the free Gold Coin Guide Call 0208 064 0076

COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

Clear answers to common questions about physical gold ownership, delivery, storage and getting started.

Is physical gold exempt from Capital Gains Tax in the UK?

UK legal-tender gold coins, such as Gold Britannias and Gold Sovereigns, are exempt from Capital Gains Tax for UK residents. This makes them one of the most tax-efficient ways to hold physical gold.

How do I get started?

Getting started is simple. Book a free call with one of our specialists or request our free Gold Coin Guide. We'll explain how ownership works, answer your questions and help you choose the right coins for your goals.

Do I actually own and receive the gold?

Yes. Every coin you buy is owned outright by you. We deliver it to your door, or we arrange fully insured vault storage in your name. Your gold is never pooled, so you keep full, private ownership of a physical asset.

How is my gold delivered?

All orders are shipped using fully insured, tracked and signed-for UK delivery. Your gold is discreetly packaged. Delivery times vary by coin, so we'll confirm your date when you order. Most orders arrive within 3 to 5 working days.

Can I sell my gold back to you?

Yes. We offer buyback on the coins we supply, at a fair market rate, whenever you decide to sell. Because Britannias and Sovereigns are widely recognised, they stay highly liquid and easy to sell.

How are your prices calculated?

Our prices follow the live gold spot price plus a small premium that reflects minting costs and product availability. Prices update through the day in line with the market, so you always pay a fair, current rate.

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Gold Tier Advisory is a private gold dealer stocking UK legal tender gold coins across a wide range of weights, denominations, designs and series, from Britannias and Sovereigns to Queen's Beasts, Tudor Beasts and other UK issues, in both loose bullion and independently graded form. Gold Tier Advisory are specialists in NGC graded gold coins, with a wide range of NGC certified UK gold coins including graded Sovereigns, graded Britannias and graded Queen's Beasts, sealed in tamper-evident slabs with a certified grade and certification number. Gold Tier Advisory also buys UK gold coins, that were not originally purchased from the company.

Gold Tier Advisory Limited sells physical gold coins and provides general information about physical gold ownership. Nothing on our website or in our materials is an offer, recommendation or advice to buy or sell any investment. We deal only in physical precious metals. We do not offer options, derivatives, futures, shares or any other securities or regulated financial products. The value of gold can rise and fall, and past performance is not a guide to the future. Prices reflect the live market at the time of your order, so the amount you receive on any future sale may be more or less than you paid. Physical gold should be viewed as a long-term holding. Gold Tier Advisory Limited is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and physical gold coins are not "specified investments" under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. We do not provide tax, legal or investment advice, and no member of our team is authorised to do so. Any general information we share, including on Capital Gains Tax exemption for certain UK legal tender coins, is for context only and depends on your circumstances. If you are unsure whether physical gold suits you, please seek independent financial, tax or legal advice before buying.