Compare gold investment opportunities
Physical gold ownership, usually held as allocated bullion in a professional vault, is one of the oldest alternative assets: valued for its scarcity and its long history as a store of value outside the banking system. It is not the same as owning gold-mining shares or a gold ETF, and it carries its own distinct set of practical considerations.
What owning physical gold actually means
When you buy allocated bullion, you own specific, identifiable bars or coins held in your name in a vault, rather than a claim on a pooled fund. That ownership brings storage, insurance and verification questions that a mainstream investment simply doesn't have.
Price can fall
Gold has no yield or income, and its price moves with global demand, interest rates and currency strength. Capital is fully at risk.
Not FCA-regulated
Physical bullion dealing and storage generally falls outside the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, so it isn't an FCA-regulated activity.
Storage and verification matter
Check where and how the metal is actually held, whether it's allocated to you specifically, and how you'd verify or sell it.
Physical gold vs. gold-mining shares or ETFs
A gold-mining company's share price depends on that company's costs, output, debt and management, as well as the gold price itself — it's a company investment first, a gold investment second. A gold-backed ETF gives price exposure without physical delivery, and typically sits inside the same regulated fund framework as other listed funds. Direct, allocated physical ownership is different again: you hold a specific, identifiable asset with no counterparty risk from a fund manager, but you take on storage, insurance, and verification considerations instead.
What to check before you invest
- Whether metal is allocated (specific bars/coins assigned to you) or unallocated (a general claim on the provider's stock, which carries counterparty risk).
- Where the metal is stored, whether the vault is independently audited, and whether it's insured.
- Whether the provider is a member of a recognised body such as the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA).
- The full cost of buying, storing and eventually selling, including any spread between buy and sell prices.
See current gold investment opportunities
UK financial promotion rules mean specific opportunities, including their rates and terms, can only be shown once you've confirmed your investment level and self-certified as an eligible investor. It takes about a minute.
Check your eligibility →Gold investment guides
Coins vs bars, the UK tax treatment that makes some gold more attractive than others, and how to compare before you buy.
Is Gold a Good Investment in the UK?
The complete picture: how gold is bought, what drives its price, and the tax treatment that favours certain coins.
Are Gold Coins a Good Investment?
What coins offer that bars and ETFs do not, and what they still do not solve.
Are Gold Sovereigns a Good Investment?
Purity, gold content and the Capital Gains Tax exemption that applies to UK legal-tender coins.
Are Gold Britannia Coins a Good Investment?
Higher purity, larger standard size, the same UK tax advantages as the Sovereign.
Gold Sovereigns vs Britannias for Investment
A direct comparison of the UK's two most widely held bullion coins.
Gold Bars vs Gold Coins for Investment
Why the Capital Gains Tax exemption for legal-tender coins is usually the deciding factor over bars.
Best Gold Coins to Buy for Investment in the UK
A practical framework for comparing premium, liquidity and tax treatment across coins.