If you visit a coin dealer today, you’ll notice something peculiar: silver coins are selling faster than ever. Here’s the kicker − not all silver is made the same, and investors from the UK are realizing that it’s better to invest close to home than they thought.

The investment world changed considerably. Gold enjoys all the headlines, but silver provides accessibility and quick growth that newcomers to the precious metals market can afford. Moreover, for residents of the UK, thinking about how much silver is worth is no longer enough.

How to Make Sure You’re Buying the Best Silver Coin UK Keeps Laying Hands-On

If you’re new to investing in precious metals, three factors will help you distinguish valuable coins from those that will burn your wallet: legal status, liquidity, and treatment concerning tax.

British silver has an edge on foreigners. By far. The official UK-issued silver Britannia coins are legal tender in the UK. This seemingly minor detail may be the biggest benefit you can enjoy if you’re not keen on feeding the government with your profits. The age-old conundrum of whether you should pay tax on selling your silver collection finally got an answer − you don’t have to pay gains tax when selling Britannia coins.

In comparison, other mints produce gorgeous and pure-but-not-that-much coins. You can sell up to your annual CGT allowance tax-free, and the rest is, despicably, not yours.

Equally, a valuable coin has to be easily sold. You don’t want to be stuck with an investment that no one wants to buy from you. The best silver coin UK gets instantly recognized in any British coin shop, and that’s as much as anyone can ask when selling precious metals. Of all the dealers in silver, none will want to cheat you, knowing your coin’s worth in the UK.

Maples are So Much Purer, Though

You’re myopic, really. If the place you live in and pay taxes into the budget is the UK, the silver coins you buy should be Britannia. Sure, the 0.09% comes across as an advantageous offer when using it to tarnish the competition. However, with Britannia’s tax exemption, the choice is clear even if the coins looked identical − but they really don’t. There are advanced security features on the coin to protect legitimate owners against fraud. Micro-text, latent images, and surface animations present significant challenges to counterfeiters. While Maples have their security measures, Britannia are a step ahead, being more expensive and more desirable.

The debate between silver Britannia vs Maple depends on where you are living. To Canadians, whose patriotism isn’t challenged in this legal obligation battle, securing their finances in good old Canadian form makes the most sense. But for a UK-based investor, there’s no chance for tax exemption on silver as it stands with the Maple leaf. If your silver investments grow by, say, £5,000 over five years, you could have as much as £1,000 in capital gains tax to pay on your stack of Maples, assuming a rate of 20%. But CHT for all those Britannia? Zero.

How You Should Approach Silver Bullion?

Starting small and steady is a good approach. Silver coin purchases of one or two a month create positions and spread the cost across mixed prices. Also, avoid the perfect traps. You cannot consistently time the silver price. At the beginning, home safes are okay. However, as the stack grows, consider allocating storage. Security and insurance also play a significant role. Finally, remember that silver coins investing isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme. Its wealth preservation packaged in appealing metal. British coins just make that preservation much more efficient to the UK investor through sensible tax planning. The most effective tactic would be to buy British, wait, and let those extra pennies in the dollar add up.