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The Royal Mint's Myths and Legends series brings heroes, outlaws and monsters from British folklore onto official UK coinage for the first time.
Tales of Robin Hood, King Arthur and Beowulf have been told here for hundreds of years. They began as ballads, poems and plays, and they still fill our cinemas and TV schedules today.
Each coin pairs artwork from leading designers with the security features you'd expect from a modern bullion issue.
Robin Hood, Little John, and Maid Marian
The series opened in 2021 with the story of Sherwood Forrest's most famous outlaw. Robin Hood is the hero who robbed from the rich and gave to the poor, and he's rarely far from his right-hand man, Little John, or his companion, Maid Marian.
Little John and Maid Marian each got their own coin in 2022. All three were designed by Jody Clark, whose portrait of Queen Elizabeth II also appears on the obverse (the 'heads' side).
The Sherwood coins are struck in 999 silver and 999.9 gold, both in 1oz sizes with a bullion finish. That makes them a simple alternative to a Britannia or another UK investment coin of the same size.
A set of £5 Brilliant Uncirculated packs followed in 2024. Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) coins are struck to a higher standard than bullion, but not to proof quality, and they suit collectors who want the design rather than the metal.
King Arthur, Merlin, and Morgan le Fay
In 2023, the series left Sherwood for Camelot. King Arthur is shown wearing his crown and holding his sword, Excalibur, with Camelot in the background.
These coins are the work of illustrator and sculptor David Lawrence, who also designed the Tudor Beasts range. Merlin, Arthur's adviser and magician, arrived the same year.
Morgan le Fay, the enchantress of Arthurian legend, completed the set. The Royal Mint describes her as the third and final coin inspired by Arthurian legend.
King Arthur was the first coin in the series offered with a proof finish. Proof coins have mirror-like backgrounds and frosted detail, they take far more skill to strike, and they're made in much smaller numbers.
You'll find King Arthur in 1oz gold proof, 1/4oz gold proof, 2oz silver proof, 1oz silver proof, £5 BU and 1oz bullion in both metals.
There's a nice quirk here for collectors. The 2023 bullion coins are among the last UK coins to carry the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, while the proof versions, struck a little later, show the first definitive portrait of King Charles III by Martin Jennings.
Beowulf And Grendel
The third chapter of the collection moves from Arthurian England to Anglo-Saxon legend. Beowulf is the hero of the longest surviving poem in Old English, thought to have been written between the eighth and eleventh centuries.
Beowulf and Grendel landed in 2024. It shows the hero facing the monster that had been terrorising King Hrothgar's people. Beowulf and Grendel's Mother followed in 2025, capturing the second of his three great fights.
Both were designed by David Lawrence, with the King Charles III obverse by Martin Jennings. They come as 1oz coins in 999.9 gold (£100 denomination, 32.69mm) and 999 silver (£2 denomination, 38.61mm).
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As gold bullion is exempt from UK VAT, there are no applicable taxes at the point of purchase.
However, investors should note that gold bars are liable for Capital Gains Tax at the point of sale, if you exceed your capital gains threshold within your tax year and you make a profit on the sale.